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PRINCETON,  N.  J. 

BV  4501  .U6  1859 

Upham,  Thomas  Cogswell,  179 

-1872. 
Principles  of  the  interior 

or  hi  HHon  1  i  f o 


Shelf.. 


^^V.  /.P 


PRINCIPLES 


INTERIOR  OR  HIDDEN  LIFE; 

DESIGNED 

PARTICULARLY    FOR   TflE    CONSIDERATION    OF   THOSE 

WHO   ARE    SEEKING  ASSURANCE   OF   FAITH 

AND   PERFECT   LOVE. 


THOMAS    C.'UPHAM 


EIGHTH    EDITION. 


NEW    YORK: 

HARPER    &    BROTHERS,    PUBLISHERS, 
329    A;    331    PEARL    STREET, 

FRANKLIN    SQUARE. 

1859. 


Ejitcied  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1843. 

By  T.  C.  Upham, 

iu  the  District  Clerk's  Office  of  the  Court  of  Maine 


It  is  the  object  of  the  present  work  to  aid  in  promoting 
floly  Living.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  principles  of  the 
work  take  for  granted,  and  every  where  imply,  that  man 
ought  to  be,  and  may  be,  holy.  Holiness  is  the  one  great 
thing  for  which,  above  all  others,  man  should  live.  It  has 
been  my  desire,  in  the  following  pages,  (some  of  which  have 
already  appeared  in  a  periodical  publication,)  to  promote  this 
great  result. 

There  are  reasons,  of  a  personal  nature,  why  I  should  not 
have  written.  There  are  other  reasons,  which  none  can 
appreciate  but  myself,  which  seemed  to  me  imperatively  to 
require  it.  If  what  is  said  is  true,  nothing  but  good  can 
ultimately  flow  from  it.  If  if  b'^,  otherwise,  it  's  my  earnest 
supplication  that  He,  who  can  bring  good  out  of  evil,  will 
overrule  the  mistakes  of  human  infirmity,  to  the  glory  of  His 
own  name. 

U. 


^r.-      -._, 

■■^•^^^r: 


CONTENTS. 


P  A  II  '»^    T 


ON    THE    INWARD    LIFE    IN    ITS    CONNECTION    AVITH 
FAITH    AND    LOVE. 

Chap  Pj«* 

1.  Some  Marks  or  Traits  of  the  Hidden  Life, 11 

2.  On  the  Doctrine  of  Holiness, 1' 

3.  Directions  to  aid  in  the  Attainment  of  Holiness, 25 

4.  On  the  Act  or  Covenant  of  religious  Consecration, 34 

5.  On  Faith,  especially  appropriating  Faith, 41 

6.  Consecration  to  be  followed  by  the  Faitjj  of  Acceptance, 48 

7.  Of  Assurance  of  Faith, ^ 

8.  Relation  of  Consecration  to  Assurance  of  Faith, 74 

9.  Relation  of  Assurance  of  Faith  and  perfect  Love,   81 

10.  Considerations  on  the  Life  of  Faith, 83 

11.  Of  a  Life  of  special   Signs  and  Manifestations,  as  compared 

with  a  Life  of  Faith, 96 

12     Of  disinterested  or  pure  Love,  in  Distinction  from  interested 

Love, 110 

13.  On  the  Love  of  our  Neighbor  and  of  Ourselves, 119 

14.  On  the  Distinction  between  Love  and  Joy, 12u 

15.  On  the  Distinction  between  natural  and  spiritual  Joy, 131 

16.  On  the  Nature  and  Relations  of  emotional  Experience, 138 

17.  Some  Marks  or  Characteristics  of  Perfection  of  Love, 145 

18.  On    the    Joy    of  Faith    in   the  Want    and    Desolation  of  all 

Things  else, ^'^ 

I'J.    On  the  Nature  of  the  Temptations  of  a  sanctified  Heart,... 157 


CONTENTS. 


PART  II. 

Tift    LIFE  OF  FAITH  AND    LOVE  FOLLOWED  BY  THE    CUUCIFIXION 

OF   THE    LIFE    OF   NATURE. 
Ohap.  Page. 

1.  On  the  Distinction  between  Justification  and  Sanctlficatlon,  169 

2.  Remarks  on  unrestrained  and  inordinate  Desires, 176 

3.  On  the  proper  Regulation  of  the  Appetites, 171) 

4.  On  the  Nature  and  Regulation  of  the  propensive  Principles,  183 
On  the  Regulation  of  the  Principle  of  Self-Love, 187 

3a  the  Nature  and  Regulation  of  the  social  Principle, 192 

*Jn  the    Nature    and    Regulation    of  the    Principle    of   Curi- 

wty, 197 

..  a  the  Grace  of  Silence  as  the  Means  of  sustaining  a  holy 

Life, 202 

9.    On  the  Nature  and  Piegulation  of  the  Affections, 209 

10.  Of  the  Excision  and  Crucifixion  of  the  natural  Life, 213 

11.  On  the  Necessity  of  possessing  the  Gifts  and  Graces  of  God 

in  Purity  of  Spirit, 228 

12.  Remarks  on  interior  Trials  and  Desolations, 233 

13.  Of  the  new  Life  in  the  Image  of  Christ, 240 

14.  On  the  true  Idea  of  spiritual  Liberty, 258 

15.  On  Growth  in  Holiness, 267 

16.  On  the  Confession^f  Sin, 274 


PART    III. 

ON    INWARD    DIVINE    GUIDANCE. 

1.  On  the  Dispensation  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 283 

2.  The  Providences  of   God    considered  as    Interpreters    of  the 

inward  Operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 290 

3.  Suggestions    to    aid    in    securing  the   Guidance  of  the  Holy 

Spirit, 297 

4     Distin^.tion  between  Impulses  and  a  sanctified  Judgment,. .. 302 


CONIENTS.  7 

t-HAP.  I'AGfi. 

5.  On  spiritual  Cooperation  with  God, 312 

6.  Evidences  of  being  guided  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 319 

7.  On  the  State  of  inward  Recollection, 327 

8.  On    the    inward   Utterance,    or    the    Voice    of    God    in    the 

Soul, 336 

9.  Spiritual  Bread,  or  the  Doctrine  of  receiving  by  Faith,  ....342 

10.  On  the  Principle  of  inward  Quietude  or  Stillness, 35] 

11.  Additional  Remarks  on  the  State  of  interior  Stillness, 358 

12.  On  the  true  Idea  of  interior  Annihilation  or  Nothingness, ..362 

13.  On  the  State  of  Union  with  God, 370 

1 4.  On  Varieties  of  Christian  Character, 380 


RELIGIOUS    MAXIMS, 385 


PART   FIRST. 


ON  THE   INWARD   LIFE 


CONNECTION    WITH    FAITH    AND   LOVE 


11 


CHAPTER   FIRST. 

SOME  MARKS  OR  TRAITS  OF  THE  HIDDEN  LIFE 

There  is  a  modification  or  form  of  religious  expe 
rience  which  may  conveniently,  and  probably  with  a 
considerable  degree  of  propriety,  bo  denominated  the 
Interior  or  Hidden  Life.  When  a  person  first  becomes 
distinctly  conscious  of  his  sinfulness,  and,  in  connection 
with  this  experience,  exercises  faith  in  Christ  as  a  Savior 
from  sin,  there  is  no  doubt,  however  feeble  these  early 
exercises  may  be,  that  he  has  truly  entered  upon  a  new 
hfe.  But  this  new  life,  although  it  is  in  its  element  dif- 
ferent from  that  of  the  world,  is  only  in  its  beginning. 
It  embraces,  undoubtedly,  the  true  principle  of  a  restored 
and  renovated  existence,  which  in  due  time  will  expand 
itself  into  heights  and  depths  of  knowledge  and  of 
feeling  ;  but  it  is  now  only  in  a  state  of  incipiency,  main- 
taining, and  oftentimes  but  feebly  maintaining,  a  war 
with  the  anterior  or  natural  life,  and  being  nothing  more 
at  present  than  the  early  rays  and  dawnings  of  the 
brighter  day  that  is  coming. 

It  is  not  so  with  what  may  be  conveniently  denomi- 
nated the  Hidden  Life  —  a  form  of  expression  which  we 
Imploy  to  indicate  a  degree  of  Christian  experience 
greatly  in  advance  of  that  which  so  often  lingers  darkly 
and  doubtfully  at  the  threshold  of  the  Christian's  career. 
As  the  Hidden  Life,  as  we  now  employ  the  expression, 
indicates  a  greatly-advanced  state  of  religious  feeling, 
resulting  in  a  sacred  and  intimate  union  with  the  Infi- 
nite Mind,  we  may  perhaps  regard  the  Psalmist,  who  had 
a  large  share  of  this  interior  experience,  as  making  an 
indistinct  allusion  to  it  when  he  says,    "  Thou  art  my 


13  "  SOME    MARKS    OR    TRAITS 

HIDING  place,  and  my  shield."  And  again,  "He  tha* 
dwelleth  in  the  secret  place  of  the  Most  High  shall 
abide  under  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty."  The  apostle 
Paul  also  may  be  regarded  as  making  some  allusion  to 
this  more  advanced  and  matured  condition  of  the 
religious  life,  when,  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Galatians,  he 
says,  "  I  am  crucified  with  Christ ;  nevertheless  I  live  , 
VET  NOT  I,  BUT  Christ  liveth  IN  ME."  And  again, 
addressing  the  Colossians,  "  Set  your  affections  on  things 
above,  not  on  things  on  the  earth ;  for  ye  are  dead,  and 
v'ouR  LIFE  IS  HID  witli  Christ  IN  GoD."  Aiid  docs  not 
the  Savior  himself  sometimes  recognize  the  existence  of 
an  Interior  or  Hidden  Life,  unknown  to  the  world,  and 
unknown,  to  a  considerable  extent,  even  to  many  that 
are  denominated  Christians,  but  who  are  yet  in  the  be- 
ginning of  their  Christian  career  ?  "  He  that  hath  an  ear, 
let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches. 
To  him  that  ovcrcometh  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  hidden 
MANNA,  and  I  will  give  him  a  white  stone,  and  in  the 
stone  a  new  name  written,  which  no  man  knoiocth,  save 
he  that  receiveth  it." 

The  phrase  Hidden  Life,  which  is  appropriately  and 
peculiarly  the  life  of  all  those  who,  advancing  beyond 
the  first  elements  of  Christianity,  may  properly  be  said  to 
be  sanctified  in  Christ  Jesus,  indicates  a  vitality  or  living 
principle,  which  differs  in  various  particulars  from  every 
other  form  of  life. 

In  the  first  place,  the  life  of  those,  who  dwell  in  the 
secret  place  of  the  Most  High,  may  be  called  a  Hidden 
Life,  because  the  animating  principle,  the  vital  or  opera- 
tive element,  is  not  so  much  in  itself  as  in  another.  It 
is  a  life  grafted  into  another  life.  It  is  the  life  of  the 
soul  incorporated  into  the  life  of  Christ ;  and  in  such  a 
way,  that,  while  it  has  a  distinct  vitality,  it  has  so  very 
much  in  the  sense  in  which  the  branch  of  a  tree  may  be 
said  to  have  a  distinct  vitality  from  the  root.  It  buds, 
blossoms,  and  bears  fruit,  in  the  strong  basis  of  an  eternal 
stock.  ''I  am  the  vine,"  says  the  Savior,  "  ye  are  the 
branches.     He  that  abideth  in  me,  and  I  in  him,  the  same 


OF    THE    HIDDEN    LIFE.  lb 

bringeth  forth  much  fruit ;  for  without  me  ye  can  do 
nothing."  This  is  a  great  mystery,  but  it  is  also  a  great 
truth.  The  Christian,  whose  '•'  life  is  hid  with  Christ  in 
God,"  can  never  doubt  that  his  spiritual  existence  and 
growth  originate  in,  and  are  sustained  in,  that  divine 
source  alone. 

In  the  second  place,  the  life  which  we  are  considering 
may  properly  be  called  a  Hidden  Life,  because  its  moving 
principles,  its  interior  and  powerful  springs  of  action,  are 
not  known  to  the  world.  This  is  what  might  naturally 
be  expected  from  what  has  already  been  said  in  respect  to 
the  relation  existing  between  a  truly  devoted  Clu'istian 
and  his  Savior ;  inasmuch  as  he  is  taken  from  himself, 
and  is  grafted  into  another,  and  has  now  become  a  "  new 
man  in  Christ  Jesus."  The  natural  man  can  appreciate 
the  natural  man.  The  man  of  the  world  can  appreciate 
the  man  of  the  world.  And  it  must  be  admitted  that  he 
can  appreciate,  to  a  considerable  extent,  numbers  of  per- 
sons who  profess  to  be  Christians,  and  who  are  probably 
to  be  regarded  as  such  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the  term, 
because  the  natural  life  still  remains  in  them  in  part. 
There  is  such  a  mixture  of  worldly  and  religious  motives 
in  the  ordinary  forms  of  the  religious  state,  such  an  im- 
pregnation of  what  is  gracious  with  what  is  natural,  that 
the  men  of  the  world  can  undoubtedly  form  an  approxi- 
mated if  not  a  positive  estimate  of  the  principles  which 
regulate  the  conduct  of  its  possessors.  But  of  the  springs 
of  movement  in  the  purified  or  Hidden  Life,  except  by 
dark  and  uncertain  conjecture,  they  know  comparatively 
nothing.  Little  can  the  men  who,  under  the  teachings 
of  nature,  have  been  trained  up  to  the  reception  and  love 
of  the  doctrine  which  inculcates  "  an  eye  for  an  eye  and 
a  tooth  for  a  tooth,"  appreciate  the  evangelical  precept 
which  requires  us,  when  we  are  assaulted,  "  to  turn  the 
other  cheek."  Still  feebler  and  more  imperfect  is  the 
idea  which  they  form  of  that  ennobling  Christian  philos- 
ophy which  inculcates  the  love  of  holiness  for  holiness' 
sake.  They  are  entirely  at  a  loss,  and,  on  any  principles 
with   which  they  are  at  present  acquainted,  they  ever 


14  SOME    MARKS     OR    TRAITS 

must  bo  at  a  loss,  in  their  estimate  of  that  inliinacy  and 
sacredness  of  friendship,  which  exists  between  God  and 
the  sanctified  mind.  Rightly  is  it  said  in  the  Scriptures, 
"But  the  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the 
Spirit  of  God,  for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him  ;  neither 
can  he  know  them,  because  they  are  spiritually  dis 
rcrned." 

Again,  the  Hidden  Life  has  a  claim  to  the  descriptive 
epithet  which  we  have  proposed  to  apply  to  it,  because, 
in  its  results  upon  individual  minds,  it  is  directly  the 
reverse  of  the  life  of  the  world.  The  natural  life  seeks 
notoriety.  Desirous  of  human  applause,  it  aims  to  clothe 
itself  in  purple  and  fine  linen.  It  covets  a  position  in  the 
market-place  and  at  the  corners  of  the  streets.  It  loves 
to  be  called  Rabbi,  But  the  life  of  God  in  the  soul,  oc- 
cupied with  a  divine  companionship,  avoids  all  unneces- 
sary familiarities  with  men.  It  pursues  a  lowly  and 
retired  course.  It  obeys  the  precept  of  the  Savior, 
"  When  thou  prayest,  enter  into  thy  closet,  and  pray  to 
thy  Father,  who  seeth  in  secret."  It  neither  desires  to 
see  nor  to  be  seen  openly,  except  when  and  where  duty 
calls  it.  It  is  willing  to  be  little,  to  be  unhonored,  and 
to  be  cast  out  from  among  men.  It  has  no  eye  for 
worldly  pomp,  no  ear  for  worldly  applause.  It  is  formed 
on  the  model  of  the  Savior,  who  was  a  man  unknown. 
He  came  into  the  world,  the  highest  personage  on  the 
highest  errand;  and  yet  so  humble  in  origin,  so  simple 
in  appearance,  so  gentle  in  heart  and  manners,  that  the 
world  could  not  comprehend  him  ;  and  he  was  ever  a 
sealed  book,  except  to  those  who  had  the  key  of  the 
inner  life  to  open  it  with. 

In  close  connection  with  what  has  been  said,  we  mav 
remark  further,  that  the  Hidden  Life  of  religion  is  not 
identical  with  the  place  and  with  the  formalities  and  ob 
servances  of  religion ;  nor  is  it  necessarily  dependent 
upon  them.  If  it  were  so,  it  would  no  longer  be  hidden, 
but  would  be  as  much  exposed  to  notice  as  that  which 
is  most  expansive  and  attractive  in  the  outward  temple 
and  in  the  external  formality.     It  is  true  that  places  of 


OF    THE    HIDDEN    LIFE.  15 

worship,  and  the  various  outward  formalities  of  worship, 
may  be  its  handmaids,  and  oftentimes  very  important 
ones ;  but  they  are  not  its  essence.  It  has  no  essence 
but  its  own  spiritual  nature,  and  no  true  locality  but  the 
soul,  which  it  sanctifies.  It  may  be  found,  therefore, 
among  all  classes  of  men,  and  consequently  in  all  places, 
occupying  equally  the  purple  of  the  king  and  the  rags  of 
a  beggar  ;  prostrating  itself  at  the  altar  of  the  cathedral, 
or  offering  its  prayer  in  the  humble  conventicle  m  the 
wilderness ;  like  the  wind  that  bloweth  where  it  listeth, 
and  "  ye  know  not  whence  it  cometh  nor  whither  it  go 
eth."  And  therefore,  being  what  the  Savior  has  denom 
inated  it,  "  the  kingdom  of  God  within  you,"  and  es- 
sentially independent  of  outward  circumstances,  it  pos- 
sesses a  perpetual  vitality. 

In  the  most  disastrous  periods  of  the  church,  there 
have  always  been  some  (a  seven  thousand  perhaps)  who 
have  not  bowed  the  knee  to  Baal,  Ministers  may  have 
become  corrupt  ;  churches  may  have  been  infected  with 
unholy  leaven  ;  the  rich  and  the  learned  may  have  been 
unanimous  in  their  rejection  of  every  thing  except  the 
mere  superficialities  of  religion;  and  yet  it  will  be  found 
that  God,  who  values  the  blood  of  his  beloved  Son  too 
highly  to  let  it  remain  inoperative,  has  raised  his  altar  in 
individual  hearts.  In  the  dwellings  of  the  poor,  in  soli- 
tary places,  in  the  recesses  of  valleys  and  mountains,  he 
has  written  his  name  upon  regenerated  minds ;  and  the 
incense  of  their  adoration,  remote  from  public  notice,  has 
gone  silently  up  to  heaven. 

These  are  general  views  and  remarks,  which  will  per- 
haps be  better  understood  in  the  result.  We  do  not 
think  it  necessary  to  dwell  upon  them  longer  at  present. 
In  conclusion,  we  would  say,  however,  that  the  true 
Hidden  Life  has  its  principles  —  principles  of  origin  and 
principles  of  perpetuity.  The  popular  Christianity,  that 
"which  exists  in  great  numbers  of  the  professed  followers 
of  Christ,  has  sometimes  seemed,  to  those  who  have 
looked  into  its  nature,  to  be  a  sort  of  chaos,  entirely  ir- 
regular and  confused,  "  without  form,  and  void."     The 


16       SOME    MARKS    OR    TRAITS    OF    THE    HIDDEN    LIFE 

measurement,  and  almost  the  only  measurement,  /  its 
vitality  is  excitation,  temporary  emotion.  It  is  i..fiven 
downward  and  upward,  backward,  forward,  and  trans- 
versely, by  the  blind  impulse  of  emotional  power ;  so 
that  if  we  seek  it  here,  supposing  it  has  a  fixed  principle 
of  movement  which  will  help  to  designate  where  it  is,  it 
IS  gone  somewhere  else ;  and  if  we  seek  it  somewhere 
else,  it  has  already  altered  its  position.  The  true  Hid- 
den Life,  refusing  to  be  characterized  by  the  fatal  mark 
of  inconstancy,  has  cast  anchor  in  God ;  and  its  princi- 
ples are  the  strong  cable  which  holds  it  there.  This  is 
one  thing  which,  if  we  estimate  the  subject  correctly, 
the  church  of  God  are  called  upon  to  learn  more  fully  ; 
viz.,  that  the  true  life  of  God  in  the  soul  has  its  princi- 
ples —  principles  founded  in  wisdom  ;  principles  fixed 
and  inflexible. 

God  never  made  a  stone,  an  herb,  a  blade  of  grass,  or 
any  natural  thing,  however  insignificant,  nor  does  he 
sustain  it  for  a  moment,  without  a  principle  of  action. 
It  is  impossible  for  God  to  operate  accidentally.  What- 
ever he  does,  he  does  by  principle.  And  if  this  is"  true 
in  natural  things,  it  is  equally  so  in  spiritual  things. 
God  did  not  make,  and  does  not  sustain,  the  soul  by  ac- 
cident. Nor  does  he  raise  it  from  its  fallen  condition, 
rekindle  within  it  a  renovated  life,  and  bear  it  onward 
to  present  and  eternal  victory,  by  a  fortuitous  aid,  an  ac- 
cidental fatality.  The  new  life  in  the  soul,  therefore, 
has  its  laws  of  beginning  and  progress,  as  well  ls  every 
other  form  of  life. 


17 


CHAPTER   SECOND. 

ON   THE  DOCTRINE  OF  HOLINESS. 

Having  in  the  preceding  chapter  given  some  generaa 
idea  of  the  Interior  or  Hidden  Life,  the  important  in- 
quiry naturally  suggests  itself,  In  what  way  shall  we 
gain  admission  into  this  desirable  state?  The  gospel 
evidently  contemplates,  in  the  case  of  every  individual,  a 
progress  from  the  incipient  condition  of  mere  forgiveness 
and  acceptance,  immensely  important  as  it  is,  to  the 
higher  state  of  interior  renovation  and  -sanctification 
throughout.  The  apostle  appears  to  have  reference  to 
this  onward  progress  of  the  soul  in  the  expressions  he 
employs  in  the  commencement  of  the  sixth  chapter  of 
the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews.  "  Therefore,  leaving  the 
principles  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  let  us  go  on  unto 
perfection;  not  laying  again  the  foundation  of  repent- 
ance from  dead  works  and  of  faith  towards  God  ;  of  the 
doctrine  of  baptism  and  of  laying  on  of  hands,  and  ol 
resurrection  of  the  dead,  and  of  eternal  judgment.  And 
this  will  we  do,  if  God  permit."  What  direction,  then 
shall  we  take  ?  What  course  shall  we  pursue,  that  we 
may  rise  above  the  merely  initiatory  principles  and  feel- 
ings of  the  gospel  life,  and  enjoy  the  delightful  privilege 
of  walking  in  close  and  uninterrupted  communion  with 
God  ?  In  answer  to  this  general  inquiry,  we  remark,  that 
the  first  and  indispensable  prerequisite  is  holiness  of 
HEART.  It  is  generally  supposed,  that  God  may  exhibit 
pity  and  pardon  to  those  in  whom  there  still  exist  some 
relics  and  stains  of  inward  corruption  ;  in  other  words, 
that  those  may  be  forgiven  or  pardoned,  who  are  not 
entirely  sanctified.  But  those  who  would  walk  accept- 
2* 


18  ,  ON    THE    DOCTRINE 

ably  with  their  Maiver,  who  would  receive  from  him  his 
secret  communications,  and  enjoy  the  hidden  embraces 
of  his  iove,  must  soc  to  it,  first  of  all,  that  they  are  pure 
in  heart ;  that  they  have  a  present,  as  well  as  a  prospec- 
tive salvation  ;  in  other  words,  that  they  are  holy. 

We  are  aware,  that,  in  the  view  of  some,  this  condi- 
tion of  realizing  the  full  life  of  God  in  the  soul  is  an  im- 
practicable one.  They  regard  holiness  in  this  life  as  a 
thing  unattainable  ;  or,  what  seems  to  me  to  be  practi- 
cally the  same  view,  as  a  thing  never  attained.  The 
persons  to  whom  we  noAV  allude  seem  to  look  upon 
holiness  as  a  sort  of  intangible  abstraction,  as  something 
placed  high  and  remotely  in  the  distance  ;  as  designed  to 
be  realized  by  angels  and  by  the  just  made  perfect  in 
heaven,  but  situated  far  beyond  mere  human  acquisition. 
Hence  it  is  that,  followed  and  scourged  by  an  inward 
condemnation,  they  remain  in  the  condition  of  servants, 
and  do  not  cheerfully  and  boldly  take  that  of  sons. 
They  wander  about,  oftentimes  led  captive  by  Satan,  in 
the  low  grounds  of  the  gospel  life,  amid  marshes  and 
tangled  forests  ;  and  do  not  ascend  into  the  pleasant  hills, 
and  that  emblematical  "land  of  Beulah,"  where  are 
spicy  breezes  and  perpetual  simshine. 

In  this  state  of  things,  it  will  be  readily  seen  that  it  is 
necessary  to  delay  a  short  time  here.  It  becomes  a  very 
important  inquiry,  whether  holiness,  in  any  strict  and 
proper  sense  of  that  term,  is  something  attainable  in  the 
present  life.  Among  other  reasons,  it  is  important  to  be 
able  to  answer  properly  this  question,  because,  unless  we 
believe  in  the  attainableness  of  holiness,  we  shall  not  be 
likely —  such  are  the  laws  of  the  human  mind  —  to  attain 
it.  Perhaps  we  may  say,  that  without  this  belief  it  will 
be  impossible  to  attain  it.  And  without  holiness,  with- 
out a  heart  thoroughly  purified  from  the  stains  of  volun- 
tary transgression,  we  may  be  assured  that  we  shall  not 
enter  into  the  secrets  of  the  Most  High  ;  the  Hidden 
Life  Avill  be  hidden  to  us  ;  and  there  will  be  many  things 
in  the  Christian's  privileges,  more  precious  than  rubies, 
which  will  never,  in\the  present  state  of  being,  come 
wiiulii  the  xTtijuO  of  011^  experience. 


OF    HOLINESS.  19 

But  before  we  can  decide  whether  1  oUness  is  attain* 
able,  we  must  endeavor  to  form  some  definite  conception 
of  its  nature.  And  here  it  may  be  proper  to  remark,  that 
we  are  obliged  to  travel  over  ground  which  has  already- 
been  repeatedly  occupied  by  former  writers.  We  shall, 
therefore,  be  as  tioncise  as  will  be  at  all  consistent  with 
giving  any  thing  like  a  correct  idea  of  the  subject. 

First.  And  in  the  first  place,  we  proceed  to  remark, 
that  the  holiness  which  Christ  requires  in  his  people, 
and  which,  in  order  to  distinguish  it  from  Adamic  per- 
fection, is  sometimes  designated  as  evangelical  or  gospel 
holiness,  does  not  necessarily  imply  a  perfection  of  the 
physical  system.  Adam,  before  his  fall,  was  a  perfect 
man,  physically  as  well  as  mentally.  His  senses  were 
sound ;  his  limbs  symmetrical :  his  muscular  powers 
uninjured ;  and  in  all  merely  corporeal  or  physical  re- 
spects, we  may  reasonably  suppose,  that  he  possessed  all 
that  could  be  desired.  But  this  is  not  our  present  con- 
dition. Far  from  it.  In  consequence  of  the  fall  of 
Adam,  we  inherit  bodies  that  are  subject  to  various 
weaknesses  and  infirmities.  Many  are  called,  in  the 
providence  of  God,  to  endure  a  great  degree  of  suffering 
through  the  whole  course  of  their  days.  These  weak- 
nesses and  infirmities,  which  are  often  the  source  of 
great  perplexity  and  suffering,  are  natural  to  us.  To  a 
considerable  extent,  at  least,  we  cannot  prevent  their 
coming  ;  nor,  when  they  have  come,  can  we,  by  any 
mere  voluntary  acts,  send  them  away.  We  admit, 
therefore,  if  gospel  holiness  necessarily  implies  physical 
perfection,  that  none  can  be  holy.  But  this  is  not  the 
case. 

Second.  We  remark,  in  the  second  place,  that  evan- 
gelical or  gospel  holiness  does  not  necessarily  imply  a 
perfection  of  the  intellect,  either  in  its  perceptive  or  in 
its  comparing  and  judging  powers.  The  perfection  of 
the  intellectual  action  depends  in  part  on  the  perfection 
of  physical  action  ;  on  the  perfection,  for  instance,  of 
the  organs  of  sense  —  the  organs  of  the  sight,  hearing,  and 
ouch.     But  in  our  present   fallen  condition,  it  is  well 


20  ON    THE    DOCIRINE 

known  that  these  and  other  physical  instramentaUties, 
which  have  a  greater  or  less  connection  with  the  men- 
tal action,  are  greatly  disordered.  And  the  natural  and 
necessary  consequence  of  this  state  of  things  will  be  a 
degree  of  perplexity  and  obscurity  in  such  mental  ac- 
tion. And  such  is  the  .--.onnection  of  the  powers  of  the 
mind,  one  with  another,  that  an  erroneous  action  in  one 
part  of  the  mind  will  be  likely  to  lay  the  foundation  for 
a  degree  of  erroneous  action  in  some  other  part.  Hence, 
in  the  present  life,  a  perfect  knowledge  of  things,  either 
in  themselves  or  in  their  relations,  may  be  regarded  in 
the  light  of  a  physical  impossibility.  And  such  perfect 
knowledge,  in  which  there  is  not  the  least  possible  mis- 
take or  error,  does  not  appear  to  be  required  of  us  in  the 
gospel,  as  a  necessary  condition  of  holiness  and  of  ar 
ceptance  with  God. 

It  may  be  added  here,  that  in  this  respect  also  oui 
condition  appears  to  differ  from  that  of  our  first  parent. 
Adam,  it  is  true,  did  not  possess  omniscience,  but 
within  the  range  of  his  perceptive  powers  he  was  not 
uibject  to  error.  So  far  as  God  permitted  him  to  know 
It  all,  he  knew  correctly.  So  that,  relatively  to  the 
sphere  of  his  ability  and  action,  he  was  as  perfect  intel- 
lectually as  he  was  corporeally  and  physically. 

Third.  In  the  third  place,  there  is  ground  for  saying, 
that  the  holiness  which,  in  accordance  with  the  princi- 
ples of  the  gospel,  is  required  to  be  exercised  in  the 
present  life,  differs  in  some  respects  from  the  holiness  or 
sanctification  of  a  future  life.  It  is  important  to  add, 
however,  that  it  does  not  differ  in  its  nature,  but  only 
in  some  of  its  accessories  or  incidents.  In  its  nature, 
holiness  ever  will  be  and  ever  must  be  the  same ;  but 
it  may  differ  in  some  of  the  attendant  circumstances  or 
incidents  under  which  it  exists.  One  of  the  particulars, 
of  an  accessory  or  incidental  character,  in  which  the 
holiness  of  the  future  life  may  be  regarded  as  differing 
from  that  of  the  present,  is,  that  it  is  not  liable,  by  any 
pjssibility  whatever,  to  any  interruption  or  suspension. 
No  physical   infirmity,   no   weariness  or  perplexity,   ot 


uF    HOLINESS.  21 

body  or  of  mind,  nothing  will  ever,  even  for  a  moment, 
either  vitiate  or  weaken  the  purity  of  its  exercises. 
The  spiritual  body,  which  constitutes  the  residence  of 
the  soul  in  its  heavenly  state,  accelerates  and  perfects 
its  operations,  instead  of  retarding  and  perplexing  them ; 
so  that  its  purity  is  always  unstained,  its  joy  always 
fall,  the  song  of  its  worship  always  new.  Another 
ground  of  ditference  between  the  sanctification  or  holi- 
ness of  the  present  and  that  of  the  future  life  is  to  be 
found  in  the  circumstance,  that  in  the  present  life  we 
are  subject  to  perpetual  and  heavy  temptations.  No 
one,  however  advanced  in  religious  experience,  is 
wholly  exempt  from  them.  On  the  contrary,  persons 
who  are  the  most  holy  often  endure  temptations  of  the 
severest  kind.  But  it  is  not  so  in  the  heavenly  world 
In  that  happier  place,  the  contest  ceases  forever.  There 
s  not  only  no  sin,  and  no  possibility  of  sinning,  bat  no 
temptation  to  sin.  While,  therefore,  we  hold  to  the 
possibility  of  a  freedom  from  actual  voluntary  trans- 
gression in  this  life,  it  ought  to  be  understood  that  we 
do  not  hold  to  a  freedom  from  temptation.  So  that  we 
may  speak  of  the  continuance  of  the  spiritual  warfare  in 
the  present  life  as  a  matter  of  necessity,  but  not  of  the 
continuance  of  sin  as  a  matter  of  necessity. 

We  may  also  admit,  in  addition  to  what  has  been 
remarked,  that  all  mere  physical  infirmities,  which  origi- 
nate in  our  fallen  condition,  but  which  necessarily  pre- 
vent oar  doing  for  God  what  we  should  otherwise  do, 
and  also  all  unavoidable  errors  and  imperfections  of  jadg- 
ment,  which  in  their  ultimate  causes  result  from  sin, 
(we  have  reference  here  to  Adam's  sin,)  require  an 
atonement.  It  seems  to  be  clear,  that  God  constituted 
the  human  race  on  the  principle  of  a  unity,  or  perhaps, 
more  precisely,  of  a  close  connection  of  obligations  and 
mterests  ;  linking  together  man  with  man,  as  with  bands 
of  iron,  in  the  various  civil,  social,  and  domestic  rela- 
tions. And  in  consequence  of  the  existence  of  the  great 
connective  laws  of  nature,  (laws  which  our  own  judg- 
ments  and  consciences  alike  approve,)  it  seems  to  be 


22  ON    THE    DOCTRINE 

the  case,  that  we  may  sometimes  justly  suffer,  in  our 
own  persons,  results  which  are  of  a  punitive  kind,  al- 
though in  their  source  flowing  from  the  evil  conduct  ot 
others  rather  than  our  ov/n.  And  hence  it  is  that  the 
head  of  a  family  ordinarily  does  not  sin,  without  affect- 
ing the  happiness  of  its  members.  Nor  does  any  mem- 
ber of  the  family  ordinarily  sin  without  involving  others 
in  the  consequences  of  the  transgression.  Nor  does  the 
head  of  a  community,  or  of  a  state,  or  of  any  other"  as- 
sociated body,  commit  errors  and  crimes  without  a  diffu- 
sion of  the  attendant  misery  through  the  subordinate 
parts  of  the  association.  In  other  words,  a  union  or  as- 
sociation of  relations  and  interests,  whether  it  be  estab- 
lished by  ourselves  or  by  that  higher  Being  with  whose 
wisdom  we  ought  ever  to  be  satisfied,  necessarily  in- 
duces a  common  liability  to  error,  suffering,  and  punish- 
ment. 

And  in  accordance  with  this  view,  we  may  very  prop- 
erly, sincerely,  and  deeply  mourn  over  those  various  in- 
firmities and  imperfections,  which  flow  out  of  our  con- 
nection with  an  erring  and  fallen  parent,  although  they 
are  very  different  in  their  nature  from  deliberate  and 
voluntary  transgressions ;  and  may  with  deep  humility 
make  application  to  the  blood  of  Christ,  as  alone  pos- 
sessing that  atoning  eflicacy  which  can  wash  their  stains 
away.  In  other  words,  God  is  to  be  regarded  as  right- 
eous in  exacting  from  us  whatever  we  could  or  might 
have  rendered  him  if  Adam  had  not  fallen,  and  if  the 
race  had  remained  holy.  Nevertheless,  he  has  mercifully 
seen  fit  to  remit  or  forgive  all  these  involuntary  sins, 
more  commonly,  and  perhaps  more  justly,  called  imper- 
fections or  trespasses,  if  we  will  but  cordially  accept  of 
the  atonement  in  the  blood  of  Christ.  But  without  the 
shedding  of  blood  and  confession,  there  is  no  more  re- 
mission in  this  case  than  in  any  other.  It  is  probably  in 
reference  to  such  imperfections  or  trespasses,  rather  than 
to  sins  of  a  deliberate  and  voluntary  nature,  that  some 
good  people  speak  of  the  moral  certainty  or  necessity 
we  are  under  of  sinuMiff  nil  the  time.     If  such  is  all  their 


OF    HOLINESS.  23 

meaning,    it   is    not    very   necessary   to    dispute  with 
them. 

What,  then,  after  these  various  remarks  and  explana- 
tions, is  the  nature  of  Christian  perfection,  or  of  that 
holiness  which,  as  fallen  and  as  physically  and  intel- 
lectually imperfect  creatures,  we  are  imperatively  re- 
rpiired  and  expected  to  exercise  ;  and  to  exercise  not 
merely  in  the  ''article  of  death,"  but  at  the  present  mo- 
ment, and  during  every  succeeding  moment  of  our  lives  ? 
It  is  on  a  question  of  this  nature,  if  on  any  one  which 
can  possibly  be  proposed  to  the  human  understanding, 
that  we  must  go  to  the  Bible  ;  and  must  humbly  receive, 
irrespective  of  human  suggestions  and  human  opinions, 
the  answer  which  the  word  of  God  gives.  It  is  cause 
of  great  gratitude,  that  a  question  so  momentous  is 
answered  by  the  Savior  himself;  and  in  such  a  way  as 
to  leave  the  subject  clear  and  satisfactory  to  humb]e  and 
candid  minds.  When  the  Savior  was  asked,  "  Which  is 
the  great  commandment  in  the  law?"  he  answered, 
'•'  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart, 
and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind.  This  is 
the  first  and  great  commandment.  And  the  second  is 
like  unto  it :  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself. 
On  these  two  commandments  hang  all  the  laio  and  the 
prophets^  Matt.  xxii.  37  —  39.  And  it  is  in  accordance 
with  the  truth  involved  in  this  remarkable  passage,  that 
the  apostle  asserts,  Rom,  xiii.  10,  '•  Love  is  the  fulfilling 
of  the  law.'^ 

He,  therefore,  who  loves  God  with  his  whole  heart, 
and  his  neighbor  as  himself,  although  his  state  may  in 
some  incidental  respects  be  different  from  that  of  Adam, 
and  especially  from  tJiat  of  the  angels  in  heaven,  and 
although  he  may  be  the  subject  of  involuntary  imperfec- 
tions and  infirmities,  which,  in  consequence  of  his  rela- 
tion to  Adam,  require  confession  and  atonement,  is 
nevertheless,  in  the  gospel  sense  of  the  terms,  a  holy  oi 
sanctified  person.  He  has  that  love  which  is  the  "  ful 
filling  of  the  law."  He  bears  the  image  of  Christ.  I< 
is  true,  he  may  not  have  that  physical  or  intellectual 


24  ON    THE    DOCTRINE    OF    HOLINESS. 

perfection  which  the  Savior  had ;  but  he  bears  his  mora, 
image.  And  of  such  a  one  can  it  be  said,  in  the  dehght 
ful  words  of  the  Savior,  John  xiv.  23,  '^  If  a  man  love 
mo,  he  will  keep  my  words,  and  my  Father  will  love 
him,  and  we  will  come  unto  him,  and  make  our  abode 
with  him." 

Holiness,  as  the  term  has  now  been  explained,  —  in 
other  words,  pure  and  perfect  love,  —  is  required  of  all 
persons.  We  do  not  esteem  it  necessary  to  delay,  and 
repeat  all  the  passages  in  which  the  requisition  is  made. 
It  is  written  very  plainly  upon  all  parts  of  the  Bible, 
from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  it.  "  But  as  he 
which  hath  called  you  is  holy,"  says  the  apostle  Peter, 
"  so  be  ye  holy  in  all  manner  of  conversation  ;  because 
it  is  written.  Be  ye  holy,  for  lam  holy."  All,  therefore, 
which  we  have  to  say  further  at  the  present  time,  is  this  : 
Those  who  aim  at  the  possession  of  the  Hidden  Life, 
who  wish  to  walk  with  God,  and  to  hold  communion 
with  him  in  the  interior  man,  as  a  friend  converses  with 
a  friend,  will  find  these  glorious  results  impossible  to 
them,  except  on  the  condition  of  holiness  of  heart 
So  long  as  they  indulge  voluntarily  in  any  known  sin, 
they  erect  a  wall  of  separation  between  themselves  and 
their  heavenly  Father ;  and  he  cannot  and  will  not  take 
them  into  his  bosom,  and  reveal  to  them  the  hidden  se- 
crets of  his  love.  They  must  stand  far  off.  We  do  no , 
say  that  they  are  utterly  rejected  ;  but  they  occupy  the 
position  of  their  own  selection  ;  obscure  and  perplexed 
in  their  own  experience,  i  nd  darkness  and  perplexity  to 
all  around  them. 


25 


CHAPTER  THIRD. 


DIRECTIONS    TO    AID    IN    THE    ATTAINMENT   OF 
HOLINESS. 

Having  in  the  second  chapter  attempted  to  show,  that 
iie  higher  realisations  of  the  religious  life,  those  in 
tvhich  the  wall  of  separation  is  broken  down,  and  the 
fallen  spirit  of  man  emergesjnto  unity  with  its  Maker, 
can  exist  only  in  connection  with  holiness  of  heart,  the 
next  important  question  to  be  considered  is,  how  we 
may  attain  to  a  state  of  holiness.  How  may  we  expe- 
rience the  desirable  change  from  weakness  of  faith  to 
assurance  of  faith,  from  a  weak  and  vacillating  love  to 
perfection  of  love,  —  or,  what  is  to  be  regarded  as  essen- 
tially the  same  thing,  from  a  partial  to  a  state  of  entire 
sanctification  ?  In  reply  to  this  interesting  inquiry,  we 
proceed  to  remark,  that  there  are  three  things  upon  which, 
in  connection  with  the  operations  and  influences  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  this  great  result  seems  especially  to  depend. 

First.  And  the  first  is  a  belief  in  the  attainableness 
of  sanctiiication  or  holiness  at  the  present  time. 

There  are  two  acknowledged  principles  in  the  phi- 
losophy of  the  human  mind,  which  have  an  important 
connection  with  such  belief  The  first  is,  that  we  never 
can  feel  under  moral  obligation  to  do  a  thing  which  we 
believe  impossible  to  be  done.  Now,  the  popular  doc- 
trine, that  no  man  ever  has  been  sanctified,  or  ever  will 
be  sanctified,  till  the  moment  of  death,  places,  in  the 
view  of  the  common  mind,  the  opposite  doctrine,  viz., 
that  sanctification  is  attainable  at  any  period  of  life,  in 
the  light  of  an  impossibility.  The  idea,  that  no  man  hag 
been  sanctified  or  will  be  sanctified  till  death,  is  inex- 
plicable, in  the  view  of  mei  generally,  except  on  the 
3 


•^6  DIRECTIONS    TO    AID    IN    THE 

ground  that  there  is  some  insuperable  obstacle  in  the  way 
of  it,  although  they  may  not  readily  perceive  or  explain 
Avhat  that  obstacle  is.  The  conviction  of  the  impossi- 
bility of  present  sanctification  will  exist  in  the  common 
mind,  as  it  has  done  in  times  past,  just  so  long  as  the 
popular  doctrine,  that  there  have  not  been  and  never  will 
be  cases  of  it,  prevails.  And  the  consequence  is,  as 
might  naturally  be  expected,  that,  throughout  a  great 
proportion  of  the  churches,  the  sense  of  obligation  to  be 
holy  is  very  feeble.  It  is  not  wrought  into  the  mind ; 
It  does  not  weigh  upon  it  heavily,  and  give  it  no  rest. 
Nor  is  It  possible,  on  the  principles  of  mental  philosophy, 
that  it  should,  while  the  common  notions  on  this  subject 
remain.  Men  will  never  feel  the  obligation  to  be  what 
they  believe  it  impossible  for  them  to  be.  Now,  this  great 
work  of  holiness,  we  venture  to  say,  will  never  be  ac- 
complished in  us  without  a  deep  sense  of  our  obligation 
to  be  holy. 

Another  principle,  involved  in  the  philosophy  of  the 
mind,  and  having  a  connection  with  this  subject, .  is 
this:  No  person  —  such  is  the  relation  between  the  will 
and  belief —  can  put  forth  a  volition  to  do  a  thing,  which 
at  the  same  time  he  believes  impossible  to  be  done.  I  do 
not  believe,  for  instance,  in  the  possibility  of  flying  in 
the  air ;  and  I  am  unable  to  put  forth  a  volition  to  do  any 
such  thing.  I  may  exercise  a  desire  to  fly  in  the  air ; 
but  while  I  have  an  utter  disbelief  in  its  possibility,  I 
shall  never  put  forth  a  volition  to  do  it.  So,  if  I  disbe- 
lieve in  the  possibility  of  being  holy,  I  can  never  put 
forth  a  volition,  that  is  to  say,  a  fixed  determination,  to 
be  so.  1  may  put  forth  a  volition  to  do  many  good 
things  ;  1  may  put  forth  a  volition  to  grow  in  grace  j 
but  to  put  forth  a  volition,  a  fixed,  unalterable  determi- 
nation, with  divine  assistance,  to  resist  and  overcome 
every  sin,  to  be  wholly  the  Lord's, —  to  be  holy, —  when  I 
believe  such  a  result  to  be  unattainable,  is  what,  on  the 
principles  of  the  philosophy  of  the  mind,  I  am  unable  to 
do.  i  might  as  well  put  forth  a  volition  to  create  a  con- 
tinent, or  to  remove  the  Rocky  Mountains  into  the  Pa- 


ATTAINMENT    OF    HOLINESS.  27 

cific  Ocean,  or  to  do  any  thing  else,  which  I  know  it  to 
be  impossible  for  me  to  do. 

Now,  if  these  two  philosophical  principles  have  been 
correctly  stated  —  first,  that  the  sense  of  obligation  to  be 
holy  at  the  present  time  will  depend  on  a  belief  in  the 
present  attainableness  of  holiness  ;  and,  second,  that  the 
volition,  or  voluntary  determination,  to  be  holy  now, 
necessarily  presupposes  the  same  belief — then  we  see  very 
clearly  the  importance  of  being  established  in  this  doc- 
trine. 

Who  can  expect  to  be  holy  now,  and  holy  through 
his  whole  life,  that  does  not  feel  the  weight  of  obliga- 
tion to  be  so  ?  Still  more,  who  can  reasonably  expect 
to  be  holy,  that  does  not  put  forth  a  volition,  a  fixed, 
unalterable  determination,  with  divine  assistance,  to  be 
so  ?  And  if  these,  the  obligation  and  the  volition,  or 
fixed  purpose  of  mind,  depend  on  the  antecedent  belief, 
then  evidently  the  first  great  preparatory  step  to  a  holy 
life,  is,  to  be  fully  settled  in  the  doctrine ;  in  other 
words,  to  believe  fully  in  the  attainableness  of  holiness 
at  the  present  time.  And  this,  as  the  matter  presents 
itself  to  my  own  mind,  is,  practically,  a  very  important 
conclusion.  Upon  the  mind  that  can  appreciate  the 
relation  and  the  application  of  the  principles  which  have 
just  been  laid  down,  the  reception  of  the  common  doc- 
trine of  the  impossibility  of  present  sanctification  presses 
with  the  weight  of  a  millstone.  A  person  in  this  posi- 
tion feels  that  he  cannot  move.  He  is  like  a  man  that 
is  shut  up  in  prison  and  in  irons  ;  and  in  accordance  with 
the  saying  that  "hope  deferred  maketh  the  heart  sick," 
he  soon  ceases  to  make  effort,  when  there  is  nothing  but 
defeat  before  him.  We  say,  then,  to  every  one  who 
feels  the  importance  of  this  subject,  and  who  is  sincerely 
desirous  to  be  holy  in  heart.  Go  to  the  Bible.  Go  with 
a  single  eye.  Go  in  the  spirit  of  humble  prayer.  And 
see  whether  the  Lord  does  not  require  you  to  be  wholly 
his,  in  the  exercise  of  assurance  of  faith  and  of  perfect 
love  ;  and  whether  he  has  not,  in  the  blood  of  h'3 
Son,  made  ample  provision  for  this  blessed  result. 


28  DIRECTIONS    TO    AID    IN    THE 

Second.  In  answer  to  the  question  how  we  may 
attain  to  holiness,  we  proceed  to  say,  that  a  second  in- 
dispensable thing  is  an  act  of  personal  consecration  to 
God.  Some  confound  such  an  act  of  consecration  with 
the  full  or  complete  slate  of  sanctification.  But  this 
confusion  of  ideas  ought  to  be  avoided.  Sanctification 
is  something  more  than  the  consecrating  act.  Conse- 
cration is  simply  putting  forth  the  volition,  (a  founda- 
tion for  which  we  will  now  suppose  to  be  laid  in  the 
belief  of  the  duty  and  the  attainableness  of  holiness,) 
the  fixed  unalterable  determination,  with  divine  assist- 
ance, to  be  wholly  the  Lord's.  In  other  words,  it  is  a 
fixed  purpose,  not  to  be  altered  during  the  whole  period 
of  our  existence,  to  break  off  from  every  known  sin  ; 
and  to  walk,  to  the  full  extent  of  our  ability,  in  the 
way  of  the  divine  requirements.  God  recognizes  the 
moral  agency  of  man,  fallen  as  he  is  ;  and  very  properly 
caUs  upon  him  and  requires  him  to  make  this  consecra- 
aon,  however  unavailable  it  may  ultimately  be  without 
his  own  accessory  aid.  Now,  it  does  not  necessarily 
follow,  because  we  put  forth  a  determination  to  do  a 
thing,  that  the  thing  is  done  ;  although  it  is  certain  that 
the  thing  will  never  be  done  without  the  previous  de- 
termination. Such  a  consecration,  therefore,  extending 
to  all  that  we  are  and  all  that  we  have,  is  necessary.  And 
let  it  not  be  said,  that  we  have  no  power  to  make  it. 
We  are  not  speaking  now  of  persons  who  are  in  the 
deadness  of  original  unconversion.  We  are  speaking  ot 
Christians,  of  persons  in  a  justified  state,  whose  dead 
wills  have  been  partially  quickened  by  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  who  certainly  can  do  something  in  this  way.  Such 
a  consecration,  therefore,  made  with  the  whole  soul  and 
for  all  coming  time,  is  necessary. 

And  it  is  so,  first,  because  we  can  have  no  available 
faith  in  the  promises  of  God  without  it.  It  is  a  great 
complaint  in  the  Christian  church,  at  the  present  day. 
that  there  is  a  want  of  faith.  If  we  may  take  the  state- 
ments of  Christians  themselves,  they  do  not  believe;  cer 
tamly,  not  as  they  should  do.     And  why  is  it  ?    It  is  be 


ATTAIN5IENT    OF    HOLINESS  29 

cause  they  have  not  fully  consecrated  themselves  to  God  , 
in  other  words,  they  continue  to  indulge  in  some  known 
sins.     Such  are  the  laws  of  the  mind,  that  they  cannot 
have  full  faith  in  God  as  a  friend  and  father  to  them,  so 
long  as  they  are  conscious  of  voluntarily  sinning  against 
him.     The  Savior  himself  has  distinctly  recognized  the 
principle,  that  faith  under  such  circumstances  is  an  im- 
possibility.    "  How  cati  ye  believe,  who  receive  honor 
one  of  another,  and  seek  not  the  honor  that  cometh  from 
God  only  ?  "    If  we  seek  the  honor  that  cometh  from 
God,  in  other  words,  if  in  the  fixed  purpose  of  our  minds 
we  consecrate  ourselves  to  him,  to  do,  as  far  as  in  us  lies, 
his  whole  will,  then,  and  not  otherwise,  we  can  believe 
that  he  v/ill  be  to  us,  and  do  for  us,  all  that  he  has  prom- 
ised in  his  Holy  Word.     It  is  precisely  here  as  it  is  in  ■ 
common  life.     It  is  impossible  for  us,  in  our  intercourse  j 
of  man  with  man,  to  believe  that  a  man  whom  we  delib-  j 
erately  sin  against  and  injure   has  confidence  in  us  and  | 
loves  us,  provided  we  are  certain  that  he  has  knowledge  : 
of  the  fact.     The  principle  will  be  found  to  hold  good  ■ 
in  regard  to  God  as  well  as  man.     Before  Adam  and  Eve  / 
sinned,  they  had  faith  in  God  as  their  father  and  friend.  \ 
But  their  faith  failed  as  soon  as  they  had  sinned ;    and  ' 
they  immediately  hid  themselves  from  his  presence.     It 
we  would  have  faith,  therefore,  we  must  endeavor  by 
consecration  to  cease  from  all  known  voluntary  sin.     In  i 
entire  accordance  with  these  views  are  the  remarkable 
expressions  in  the  first  epistle  of  John  —  "  Beloved,  if  our 
hearts  condemn  us  not,  then  have  we  confidence  toward  '■ 
God." 

An  act  of  entire  consecration  is  necessary,  so  far  as  it 
is  in  our  power  to  make  it,  secondly,  because  we  have 
no  encouragement  to  believe  that  God  will  sanctify  us 
in  the  state  of  personal  and  spiritual  inactivity  and  de- 
clension. As  has  already  been  said,  God  recognizes  the 
moral  agency  of  man,  fallen  as  he  is ;  and  especially 
when,  after  having  justified  him  by  the  application  of 
the  Savior's  blood,  he  has  given  him  the  principle  of  a 
new  spiritual  life.  It  is  because  he  has  given  ua  the 
8  * 


30  DIRECTIONS    TO    AID    IN    THE 

power  of  distinguishing  between  good  and  evil ;  because 
he  has  given  us  judgment,  and  conscience,  and  will ;  be- 
cause he  has  breathed  into  us  the  breath  of  a  new  spir- 
itual life -—thereby  putting  us  into  communication  with 
himself,  and  opening  to  us  the  fountains  of  everlasting 
strength  —  that  he  has  the  right,  and  exercises  the  right,  of 
requiring  us  to  surrender  all  to  him.  And  if  we  find  the 
attempt  difficult,  as  no  doubt,  on  account  of  our  past  lives, 
we  shall  be  very  likely  to,  he  nevertheless  requires  that 
we  shall  do  all  that  we  can.  And  it  is  at  this  point, 
when  we  have  put  forth,  with  all  the  energy  and  sin- 
cerity of  our  being,  the  unalterable  determination,  relying 
upon  divine  assistance,  that  we  will  be  wholly  his,  that 
he  meets  us.  The  two  principles  of  entire  consecration 
and  of  divine  assistance,  to  the  full  extent  of  the  prom- 
ises, go  together.  And  both  are  imbodied  in  that  re- 
markable passage  of  Scripture,  which  should  be  written 
upon  the  heart  of  every  believer,  "  Come  ye  out  from 
among  them,  and  be  ye  separate^  saith  the  Lord,  and 
touch  not  the  unclean  thing  ;  and  I  ivill  receive  you,  and 
will  be  a  Father  unto  you,  and  ye  shall  be  my  sons  and  my 
daughters,  saith  the  Lord  Almighty.'^  2  Cor.  vi.  17,  IS 

It  will  of  course  be  understood,  that,  in  making  this 
act  of  consecration,  we  have  a  sincere  and  earnest  desire 
for  holiness.  We  cannot  suppose  it  possible,  that  it 
should  be  made  in  any  other  state  of  mind. 

Third.  A  third  thing  requisite,  in  order  to  present 
sanctification,  is  a  full  belief  in  the  faithfulness  of  God 
in  relation  to  the  fulfilment  of  his  promises.  Having 
believed;  first,  that  holiness  is  a  duty,  and  that  such  pro- 
vision is  made  for  it  as  to  render  it  attainable  ;  and  hav- 
ing, secondly,  consecrated  ourselves  to  God  in  all  things 
to  do  his  will,  we  are  now,  in  the  third  place,  to  .have 
faith  in  him,  that  he  will  do  what  he  has  voluntarily 
assumed  as  his  own  part ;  in  other  words,  that  he  will 
fulfil  the  promises  he  has  graciously  made  ;  that  he  will 
accept  the  sacrifice  which  we  have  deliberately  laid 
upon  his  altar;  ard  make  us  fully  and  entirely  his 
This  is  oftentimes  i\  s  most  difficult  thing  of  the  whole  -' 


ATTAINMENT  OF  HOLINESS.  31 

Qifficult,  not  in  itself  considered,  but  in  consequence  of 
our  natu»-ally  fallen  condition.  Some,  it  is  true,  believe 
easily ;  believe  at  once  ;  and  of  course  enter  in  at  such 
an  open  door,  that  they  are  filled  with  surprise.  But 
many  stumble  at  this  point.  They  feel  the  dreadful 
effects  of  former  habits  of  mind.  That  old  unbelief, 
which  has  so  long  kept  them  far  from  God,  still  clings  to 
them.  They  hesitate,  linger,  become  discouraged,  and 
are  oftentimes  defeated.  It  is  at  this  crisis  of  one's  reli- 
gious history,  that  the  saying  of  Elizabeth  to  Mary  has 
an  especial  meaning  — "  Blessed  is  she  that  believed." 

There  is  one  thing,  in  particular,  which  seems  to  ren- 
der it  necessary  to  believe  that  God  does  now  accept  the 
consecration   which  is  made.     It  is,  that  this  belief  con- 
stitutes, if  we  may  so  express  it,  the  transition  point  (or 
rather  perhaps  the  transition  itself)  from  consecration  to  > 
sanctification.     In  the  act  of  consecration  we  solemnly  \ 
promise  the  Lord,  that,  relying  upon  his  grace,  we  will  i 
now  and  forever  break  off  from  every  known  sin.     But  j 
in  exercising  faith  in  God  as  true  to  his  promises,  and  as  | 
giving  us  strength  to  be  his,  and  as  now  receiving  us,  we  i 
may  be  said  in  some  respects  to  do  a  still  greater  work, 
viz.,  we  renounce  absolutely  and  entirely  all  self-reliance 
and  all  confidence  in  our  own  strength.     And  he,  who  ( 
breaks  off  from  every  known  sin,  and  at  the  same  time, 
in  full  reliance  upon  the  word  of  God,  and  with  childlike 
simplicity,  leaves  hiinself  entirely  and  in  all  things  in 
_the_hands  of  God,  unresistingly  to  receive  the  sugges- 
tions and  to  fulfil  the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  ne- 
cessarily becomes,  in  the  Scripture  sense  of  the  terms,  a 
holy  or  sanctified  person.     He  becomes  so,  because  he 
is  precisely  in  that  position  in  which  God  desires  him  to 
be,  and  in  which  the  grace  of  God  is  pledged  to  give  re- 
demption and  victory.     God  necessarily  receives  him  : 
in  other  words,  he  passes  from  a  state  of  rebellion  to  one 
of  submission;  from  a  state  of  unbelief  to  one  of  child- 
like conMence ;  and  from  himself,  and  out  of  himself, 
mio  God. 

The  diffimlty  of  believing  at  this  particular   ciisis 


33  DIRECTIONS    TO    AID    IN   THE 

}  results  not  only  from  our  former  habits  of  mibelief,  but 
also,  in  part,  although  it  may  seem  to  be  a  contradiction, 
,    from  the  extreme  simplicity  and  facility  of  the  thing  to 
;  be  done.     The  internal  process  in  the  minds  of  many 
persons,  when  they  arrive  at  this  specific  point,  seems  to 
be  like  this.     Is  it  possible,  they  say,  that  we  can  expe- 
rience so  great  a  blessing  in  a  manner  so  easy,  so  simple, 
that  we  stumble  at  its  very  simplicity  ?    Must  we  expe- 
rience the  great  work  of  interior  salvation  in  the  way  of 
renunciation,  by  merely  giving  up  all,  and  by  sinking 
into  the  simplicity  and  nothingness  of  little  children  ?  Is 
there  nothing   which  is  personally  meritorious,  nothing 
which  is  the  subject  of  self-gratulation,  neither  in  the 
beginning,  nor  in  the  progress,  nor  in  the  completion,  of 
the  divine  life  ?    And  thus,  through  the  extreme  good- 
ness of  God  in  making  the  way  so  easy,  they  are  con- 
fused and  kept  back.     In  a  word,  they  disbelieve,  simply 
because,  in  this  position  of  their  experience,  nothing  is 
required  but  believing.     Happy  is  he,  who,  in  losing  aU 
things,  gains  all  things.     Happy  is  he,  who    alienates 
himself  from  himself,  in  order  that  God  may  take  pos- 
session of  that  self  which  he  has  renounced.     Again  we 
repeat,  "Blessed  is  she  that  believed."     It  is  in  the  ex- 
ercise of  belief,  under  the  circumstances  which  we  have 
now  been  considering,  that  we  realize  the  full  import  of 
those  striking  passages  of  Scripture,  (passages  which  we 
shall  have  occasion  to  remark  upon  hereafter,)  Mark  xi. 
\  24 :   "  Therefore  I  say  unto  you,  What  things  soever  ye 
I  desire,  wheji  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and 
\ye  shall  have  themy     And  1st  Epistle  of  John,  v.    15: 
^"  And  this  is  the  confidence  that  we  have  in  him,  that,  if 
I  we  ask  any  thing  according  to  his  rvill,  he  heareth  us. 
I  A7id  if  loe  knoio  that  he  hears  us,  wliatsoever  loe  ask,  we 
\know  that  we  have  the  petitions  that  we  desired  of  him.'' 
'      A  faithful  and  persevering  application  of  the  principles 
laid  down  in  this  chapter,    attended    with  reliance  on 
God  for  his  blessing,  will  result,  we  have  no  doubt,  in 
leading  persons  into  the  narrow  and  holy  way.     We  say 
versevering  application,  because  in  nothing  is  perse  c^r- 


ATTAINMENT  OF  HOLINESS.  33 

ance,  a  fixed  tenacity  of  purpose,  more  desirable  than  in 
the  pursuit  of  holiness.  He,  who  puts  his  hand  to  the 
plough  here,  with  the  secret  reservation  that  he  will  look 
back  when  he  pleases,  might  as  well  make  no  beginning. 
There  must  be  a  fixedness  of  determination,  which  will 
not  be  discouraged  by  any  obstacles  ;  an  inflexible  will, 
which,  with  God's  blessing,  will  continue  steadfast  to 
the  end. 


34 


CHAPTER    FOURTH. 


ON    THE    ACT    OR    COVENANT    OF    RELIGIOUS    COIN 
SECRATION. 

It  must  be  obvious,  from  what  was  said  in  the  last 
chapter,  that  no  one  can  reasonably  expect  to  make  much 
advancement  in  religion  without  a  permanent  and  de- 
vout personal  consecration.  Unless  the  Christian  is  will- 
ing to  make  such  a  consecration,  and  unless  he  actu- 
illy  adds  the  execution  of  the  thing  to  the  desire  or  will- 
ingness to  do  it,  by  a  formal  and  decisive  act,  we  can  see 
no  encouragement  that  he  will  reach  those  results  of 
personal  inward  experience  which  will  be  hereafter  in- 
dicated. This  is  a  duty  so  important,  so  much  depends 
upon  it,  that  it  seems  to  be  necessary  to  give  to  it  a  sep- 
arate and  more  particular  consideration. 

( 1. )  And  the  first  remark  which  we  have  to  make  on 
this  subject  is,  that  the  consecration  of  ourselves  to  God, 
which  is  so  inseparable  from  the  progress  and  perfection 
of  the  divine  life,  should  be  made  deliberately.  —  A 
consecration  made  in  this  manner,  viz.,  with  calmness 
and  deliberation,  is  due  to  our  own  characters  as  rational 
and  reflecting  beings.  As  God  has  made  us  perceptive 
and  rational,  he  desires  and  expects  us,  especially  in  im- 
portant transactions,  to  act  in  accordance  with  the  prin 
ciples  he  has  given  us.  It  is  not  reasonable  to  suppose 
that  God  would  be  pleased  with  a  consecration  made 
thoughtlessly  and  by  blind  impulse,  rather  than  by  de- 
liberate reflection.  Man  has  deliberately  rebelled  and 
gone  astray,  and  it  is  due  to  himself  and  his  Maker,  it  is 
due  to  truth  and  to  holiness,  that  he  should  deliberately 
and  reflectingly  submit  and  return ;  that  his  repentance 
of  sin  should  be  accompanied  with  a  clear  perception  of 


ON    THE    ACT    OF    RELIGIOUS    CONSECRATION.  35 

his  sinfulness;  that  his  determination  to  do  God's  will 
should  be  attended  with  some  suitable  apprehensions  of 
what  he  requires ;  and  that  his  fixed  purpose  of  future 
obedience  should  be  sustained  by  the  united  strength  ot 
all  appropriate  considerations. 

(2.)  We  observe,  in  the  second  place,  that  the  conse- 
cration must  be  made  for  all  coming  time.  It  is  true 
that  there  may  be  specific  consecrations  of  a  modified 
character,  restricted  to  particular  objects  and  occasions, 
and  limited  also  to  definite  periods.  A  person,  for  in- 
stance, may  devote  himself  exclusively,  for  a  limited 
time,  to  the  one  important  object  of  erecting  a  place  of 
public  worship.  And  regarding  him  as  giving  to  this 
one  object  all  his  powers  of  body  and  of  mind,  we  may 
properly  speak  of  him,  in  an  imperfect  or  modified  sense 
of  the  term,  as  consecrated  to  this  particular  work. 
But  it  is  quite  obvious  that  such  instances  of  consecra- 
tion are  exceedingly  different  from  the  one  under  con- 
sideration; which  is  fundamental  and  universal  in  its 
character,  and  which  would  be  inconsistent  with  itself 
if  it  were  applied  to  one  object  to  the  exclusion  of  others : 
which  takes  into  view  the  very  being  and  nature  of  the 
soul  ;  which  considers  the  principles  of  man's  departure 
from  God,  and  also  the  principles  involved  in  his  restora- 
tion ;  which  recognizes  the  full  amount  of  God's  immu- 
table and  infinite  claims;  and  which,  therefore,  on  the 
grounds  of  truth  and  rectitude,  as  well  as  of  safety  and 
of  happiness,  cannot  be  made  for  a  less  period  than  all 
time  and  eternity. 

(3.)  It  may  be  remarked  again,  that  the  consecration, 
including  our  bodies  as  well  as  our  spirits,  and  our  pos- 
sessions as  well  as  our  persons,  all  we  are  and  all  we 
have,  all  we  can  do  and  all  we  can  suffer,  should  be 
made  without  any  reserve.  There  are  many  professors 
of  rehgion  who  are  willing  to  give  up  something  to  the 
Lord  ;  and  perhaps  it  can  be  said  that  there  are  many 
who  are  willing  to  give  up  much  ;  but  the  consecration 
of  which  we  are  speaking,  requires  us  to  be  truly  willing 
to  give  up  ALL  ;    and  not  only  to  be  willing  to  give  u{/ 


36  ON    THE    ACT    OR    COVENANT 

all,  but  to  do  it.  It  is  true  that,  in  our  present  state 
some  things  are  needful  for  us,  and  our  heavenly  Father 
assures  us  that  he  is  not  ignorant  of  it.  But  while,  in 
compassion  to  our  obvious  wants,  he  bestows  upon  us 
those  things  which  are  necessary  to  beings  who  must 
be  fed,  clothed,  and  sheltered,  he  requires  us  to  hold 
these  and  all  other  gifts  of  a  temporal  nature,  which  we 
sometimes  call  our  own,  as  bestowments  imparted  by 
himself  for  a  special  purpose,  and  to  be  retained  and  used 
in  perfect  subordination  to  the  divine  will.  And  still 
more  important  and  necessary  is  it,  that  all  the  exercises 
of  the  mind,  that  all  powers  and  efforts  of  the  intellect, 
and  all  desires  and  purposes  of  the  heart  and  will,  should 
be  laid  sacredly  upon  the  divine  altar  ;  in  perfect  sim- 
plicity of  view  ;  without  any  reservation,  and  with- 
out any  regards,  however  secret  and  intimate,  to  the 
claims  of  self;  inscribed,  as  it  were,  within  and  without, 
with  holiness  to  the  Lord  ;  from  God,  of  God,  and  for 
God.  Consecration  without  reserve  implies  that  we 
are  not  only  to  give  up  our  persons  and  powers  to  be 
employed  as  God  wills,  but  also  to  endure  or  suffer  as 
God  wills  ;  and  it  implies  also  that  we  are  to  give  them 
up,  to  be  employed  and  to  suffer  just  in  the  time  and 
place,  and  in  all  the  precise  circumstances,  which  are 
agreeable  to  God  ;  without  presuming  to  dictate  to  him 
in  the  smallest  respects,  and  without  any  will  or  choice 
of  our  own. 

(4.)  Finally,  in  the  full  conviction  that  no  efforts  or 
purposes  of  our  own  will  be  available  without  divine  as- 
sistance, we  should  make  the  consecration  in  reliance 
upon  divine  strength  ;  recognizing,  on  the  one  hand,  our 
own  entire  weakness,  and  at  the  same  time  fully  believ- 
ing, on  the  other,  in  the  willingness  and  readiness  of  God 
to  aid  and  deliver  us  in  every  time  of  temptation  and 
trial.  A  consecration,  made  Avithout  a  distinct  recogni- 
tion of  our  own  insufRciency,  and  without  the  expression 
and  the  reality  of  reliance  on  God  alone  as  our  only  hope, 
would  be  wanting  in  the  most  essential  element.  It 
would  necessarily  fail  of  the  divine  blessing,  and  could 


OF    RELIGIOUS    CONSECRATION.  37 

not  result  in  any  good.  "Lay  it  down  to  yourself  as  a 
most  certain  principle,"  says  Dr.  Doddridge,  "  that  no  at- 
tempt m  religion  is  to  be  made  in  your  own  strength. 
If  you  forget  this,  and  God  purposes  finally  to  save  you, 
he  will  humble  you  with  repeated  disappointments,  till 
he  teach  you  better." 

A  consecration,  thus  deliberately  made,  including  all 
our  acts,  powers,  and  possessions  of  body,  mind,  and 
estate,  made  without  any  reserve  either  in  objects,  time, 
or  place ;  embracing  trial  and  suffering  as  well  as  action  ; 
never  to  be  modified,  and  never  to  be  withdrawn  ;  and 
which  contemplates  its  fulfilment  in  divine  and  not  in 
human  strength,  — necessarily  brings  one  into  a  new  rela- 
tionship with  God,  of  the  most  intimate,  interesting,  and 
effective  nature.  It  is  not  easy  to  see  how  a  soul,  that 
is  thus  consecrated,  can  ever  be  deserted.  Divinity  is 
pledged  in  its  behalf;  and  in  all  times  of  temptation 
and  trial,  when  clouds  and  storms  hang  darkly  and 
heavily  around,  there  will  always  be  a  redeeming  power, 
a  light  in  the  midst  of  shadows,  the  shining  of  the  bow 
of  promise. 

A  word  further  remains  to  be  said  here.  I  am  aware 
there  are  some,  who  seem  to  appreciate  the  necessity  of 
entirely  consecrating  themselves  to  God,  and  perhaps 
may  be  said  to  be  willing  to  do  it,  but  who  have  felt  a 
difficulty  in  one  particular.  They  have  inquired,  with  a 
good  deal  of  solicitude,  How  is  it  possible  to  make  a 
consecration  now  which  shall  bind  us  to  fulfil  the  will 
of  God  in  all  the  emergencies  of  the  unseen  and  untried 
future  ?  —  including  cases,  the  difficulties  of  which  we  are 
now  unable  to  appreciate,  and  therefore  do  not  know 
that  we  have  now,  or  ever  shall  have,  strength  to  meet 
them.  In  respect  to  such  cases,  all  we  can  say  is,  that 
we  must  commit  CLirselves  into  the  hands  of  God  in  the 
exercise  of  simple  faith  ;  remembering  his  declaration, 
that  "  his  grace  is  sufficient."  God  hath  said,  Heb.  xiii. 
5,  6,  "  I  will  never  leave  thee  nor  forsake  thee.  So  that 
we  may  boldly  say,  The  Lord  is  my  helper,  and  I  will 
not  fear  what  man  shall  do  unto  me." 
4 


38 


ON    THE    ACT    OR    COVENANT 


In  the  conclusion  of  this  subject,  I  would  introduce 
another  short  passage  from  Dr.  Doddridge.* —  "  I  would 
further  advise  and  urge,"  he  says,  speaking  on  the  mat- 
ter of  making  an  entire  consecration  of  ourselves,  "  that 
this  DEDICATION  should  be  made  with  all  possible  solem- 
nity. Do  :t  in  express  words.  And  perhaps  it  may  be  in 
many  cases  most  expedient,  as  many  pious  divines  have 
recommended,  to  do  it  in  writing.  Set  your  hand  and 
seal  to  it,  that,  on  such  a  day  of  such  a  month  and 
year,  and  at  such  a  place,  on  full  consideration  and 
serious  reflection,  you  came  to  this  happy  resolution, 
that,  whatever  others  might  do,  you  would  serve  the 
Lord."  In  connection  with  some  further  remarks  of 
this  kind,  he  gives  two  forms  of  consecration,  of  which 
the  following  is  an  abridgment,  with  the  addition  of  a 
few  words  in  brackets,  which  seemed  to  be  necessary  to 
complete  the  sense. 


FORM    OF    CONSECRATION, 

Abridged  from  Dr.  Doddridge. 

Eternal  and  ever-blessed  God !  I  desire  to  present 
myself  before  Thee  with  the  deepest  humiliation  and 
abasement  of  soul,  sensible  how  unworthy  such  a  sinful 
worm  is  to  appear  before  the  holy  Majesty  of  heaven, 
and  to  enter  into  a  covenant  transaction  with  Thee.  I 
come  acknowledging  myself  to  have  been  a  great  offend- 
er ;  smiting  on  my  breast,  and  saying,  with  the  humble 
publican,  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner.  I  come  in- 
vited in  the  name  of  thy  Son,  and  wholly  trusting  in 
his  perfect  righteousness  ;  entreating  that,  for  his  sake, 
Thou  wilt  be  merciful  to  my  unrighteousness,  and  wilt 
no  more  remember  my  sins. 

Permit  me,  O  Lord,  to  bring  back  unto  Thee  those 
powers  and  faculties   which    I  have    ungratefully  and 

*  Rise  and  Progfress  of  Religion  in  the  Soul,  chap,  xvii 


OF    RELIGIOUS    CONSECRATION.  39 

sacrilegiously  alienated  from  thy  service  ;  and  receive, 
I  beseech  Thee,  thy  poor  revolted  creature,  who  is  now 
convinced  of  thy  right  to  him,  and  desires  nothing  in 
the  world  so  much  as  to  be  thine.  It  is  with  the  ut- 
most solemnity  that  I  make  this  surrender  of  myself 
unto  Thee.  I  avouch  the  Lord  this  day  to  be  my  God  ; 
and  I  avouch  and  declare  myself  this  day  to  be  one  of 
liis  covenant  children  and  people.  Hear,  O  Thou  God 
of  heaven,  and  record  it  in  the  book  of  thy  remem- 
brance, that  I  am  thine,  entirely  thine.  I  would  not 
merely  consecrate  to  Thee  so7ne  of  my  powers,  or  some 
of  my  possessions,  or  give  Thee  a  certain  portion  of  my 
services,  or  all  I  am  capable  of  for  a  liTnited  time ;  [but 
1  give  myself  to  Thee,  and  promise,  relying  upon  thy 
divine  assistance,]  to  be  wholly  thine,  and  thine  forever. 

From  this  day  do  I  solemnly  renounce  all  the  former 
lords  which  have  had  dominion  over  me,  every  sin  and 
every  lust ;  and  in  thy  name  set  myself  in  eternal  oppo- 
sition to  the  powers  of  hell,  which  have  most  unjustly 
usurped  the  empire  over  my  soul,  and  to  all  the  cor- 
ruptions which  their  fatal  temptations  have  introduced 
into  it.  The  whole  frame  of  my  nature,  all  the  facul- 
ties of  my  mind  and  all  the  members  of  my  body,  would 
[  present  before  Thee  this  day,  as  a  living  sacrifice,  holy 
and  acceptable  to  God,  which  I  know  to  be  my  most 
reasonable  service.  [To  Thee  I  consecrate  not  only  my 
person  and  powers,]  but  all  my  worldly  possessions ; 
and  earnestly  pray  Thee  also  to  give  mc  strength  and 
courage  to  exert  for  thy  glory  all  the  influence  I  ma} 
have  over  others,  in  the  relations  of  life  in  which 
I  stand. 

Nor  do  I  only  consecrate  all  that  I  am  and  have  to  do 
thy  service  ;  but  I  also  most  humbly  resign  and  submit 
myself,  and  all  that  I  can  call  mine,  [to  endure  and 
suflfer  at  thy  hand  whatsoever  Thou  mayest  see  fit  to 
impose  upon  me  in  the  dispensations]  of  thy  holy  and 
sovereign  will.  I  leave,  O  Lord,  to  thy  management 
and  direction  all  I  possess  and  all  I  wish  ;  and  set  every 
^.njoyment  and  every  interest  before  Thee,  to  be  dis- 


40  ON    THE    ACT    OF    RELIGIOUS    CONSECRATION. 

posed  of  as  Thou  pleasest ;  contentedly  resolving,  in  all 
that  Thou  appointest  for  me,  my  will  into  thine,  and 
looking  on  myself  as  nothing,  and  on  Thee,  O  God,  as 
the  great  eternal  All,  whose  word  ought  to  determine 
every  thing,  and  whose  government  ought  to  be  the 
joy  of  the  whole  rational  creation. 

Receive,  O  heavenly  Father,  thy  returning  prodigal ! 
Wash  me  in  the  blood  of  thy  dear  Son !  Clothe  me 
with  thy  perfect  righteousness  ;  and  sanctify  me  through- 
out by  the  power  of  thy  Spirit.  And,  O  Lord,  when 
thou  seest  the  agonies  of  dissolving  nature  upon  me, 
remember  this  covenant,  even  though  I  should  then  be 
incapable  of  recollecting  it,  and  look  with  pitying  eye 
upon  thy  dying  child.  Put  strength  and  confidence 
into  my  departing  spirit ;  and  receive  it  to  the  embraces 
of  thine  everlasting  love. 


GLORY    to    god    ALONE. 

"  O  Loved  !  but  not  enough,  though  dearer  far 
Than  self  and  its  most  loved  enjoyments  are; 
None  duly  loves  Thee,  but  who,  nobly  free 
From  sensual  objects,  finds  his  all  in  Thee. 
Glory  of  God  !  thou  stranger  here  below, 
Whom  man  nor  knows,  nor  feels  a  wish  to  know 
Our  faith  and  reason  are  both  shocked  to  find 
Man  in  the  post  of  honor,  Thee  behind. 

"  My  Soul !  rest  happy  in  thy  low  estate, 

Nor  hope,  nor  wish,  to  be  esteemed  or  great. 

To  take  the  impression  of  a  Will  Divine, 

Be  that  thy  glory,  and  those  riches  thine. 

Confess  Him  righteous  in  his  just  decrees, 

Love  what  He  loves,  and  let  his  pleasures  please  ; 

Die  daily  ;  from  the  touch  of  sin  recede, 

Then  thou  hast  crowned  Him,  and  He  reigns  indeed. ' 


41 


OHAPTER    FIFTH. 

ON   FAITH,  ESPECIALLY  APPROPRIATING  FAITH. 

It  is  not  until  a  person  has  taken  the  important  and 
decisive  step  indicated  in  the  foregoing  chapter,  that  he 
is  in  a  true  position  to  reaHze  the  various  results  of  an 
unobstructed  divine  operation  upon  tlie  mind.  It  is 
from  that  moment,  that  divine  moment,  that  he  begins 
to  learn,  in  a  new  and  higher  sense,  the  length  and 
breadth,  tlie  height  and  depth,  of  God's  inward  dealings. 
Especially  is  it  true,  that,  from  this  important  period, 
he  begins  to  learn  and  to  practise  the  life  of  faith. 
Perhaps  he  had  faith  before.  If  he  were  a  Christian, 
he  must  of  course  have  known  something  of  justifying 
faith.  In  other  words,  he  exercised  faith  in  Christ  as 
the  source,  and  the  only  source,  of  pardon  ;  but  he  did 
not  realize  and  understand  the  nature  and  efficacy  of 
faith,  as  a  practically  sustaining  and  sanctifying  princi- 
ple ;  as  a  principle  through  which  we  are  not  only 
forgiven,  but  are  made  and  are  kept  holy. 

It  is  not  our  intention,  in  the  present  work,  to  go  very 
fully  into  the  nature  of  faith.  To  do  this  fully,  to  con- 
sider faith  in  its  nature  and  its  various  bearings,  would 
require  a  volume.  If  there  is  any  religious  principle 
which  is  fundamental,  any  one  which  may  be  regarded 
as  the  root  and  source  of  origin  to  the  various  othei 
Christian  graces  that  cluster  around  and  adorn  the  Chris- 
tian character,  it  is  faith.  So  far  as  the  subject  of  faith 
will  come  under  our  notice  in  the  present  work,  it  will 
be  our  object  especially,  if  not  exclusively,  to  consider 
It  in  connection  with  the  more  general  subject  of  sang- 
1IFICATI0N.  We  are  commanded  in  the  Scriptures  to 
4* 


42  ON    FAITH,    ESPECIALLY 

"  have  faith  in  God ;  "  we  are  told  that  "  the  just  shall 
live  by  faith,"  and  also  that  "without  faith  it  is  impos- 
sible to  please  God."  How  important  it  is,  therefore,  to 
have  right  views  of  this  excellent  Christian  grace,  con- 
sidered in  its  relation  to  sanctification  and  holy  living, 
as  well  as  in  its  connection  with  justification  ! 

There  are  three  leading  kinds  of  faith,  saying  nothing 
of  some  subordinate  modifications,  viz.,  historical  faith, 
a  general  religious  faith,  and  an  appropriating  faith  ; 
each  of  which  is  entitled  to  a  brief  notice.  An  his- 
torical faith  in  the  Savior  is  merely  a  belief  that  such  a 
man  as  Jesus  Christ,  possessing  many  of  the  virtuous 
traits  which  his  biographers  have  ascribed  to  him, 
appeared  in  Palestine  at  the  commencement  of  the 
Christian  era.  It  is  not  easy  to  see  how  a  person,  who 
gives  credence  to  any  of  the  historical  narrations  of  an- 
tiquity, can  do  otherwise  than  receive  this  belief.  This 
faith,  however,  does  not  necessarily  involve  the  exist- 
ence of  religion,  or  even  of  good  morals.  Men  of 
abandoned  characters,  and  of  essentially  infidel  senti- 
ments, may  go  as  far  as  this.  Voltaire,  and  other  distin- 
guished enemies  of  the  Christian  system,  liad  a  belief 
of  this  kind. 

"Alas,"  says  Jacob  Behmen,  speaking  of  the  state  of 
things  in  his  times,  of  which  he  says  that  "  true  faith 
was  never  weaker  since  Christ's  time  than  it  is  now," 
"  the  faith  of  this  day  is  but  historical,  a  mere  assent 
to  the  matter  of  fact  that  Jesus  Christ  lived  and  died,  that 
the  Jews  killed  him,  that  he  left  this  world,  and  is  not 
king  on  earth  in  the  outward  man  "  —  a  faith,  which  leaves 
men,  as  he  further  intimates,  to  "do  what  they  list," 
and  is  not  inconsistent  with  a  life  "  of  sin  and  evil 
lusts."  * 

(2.)  There  is  also  a  general  religious  faith.  A  person 
may  not  only  believe,  with  those  who  possess  an  his 
torical  faith,  that  there  was  such  a  man  as  Jesus  Christ , 
but  may  also  believe  that  he  died  for  the  salvation  cf  men 

*  The  Way  to  Christ,  Book  II.  chap.  3,   §  52. 


APPROPRIATING    FAITH.  43 

in  general.  This  form  of  faith,  it  is  true,  is  important : 
but  it  does  not  and  cannot  secure  all  those  objects 
which  are  ascribed  to  faith  in  the  Bible.  I  sup- 
pose it  may  be  said  with  truth,  that  the  devils  believe 
and  know,  not  only  that  there  was  such  a  being  as  Jesus 
Christ,  but  that  he  died  upon  the  cross  for  sinners.  It 
obviously  does  not  commend  itself  to  human  reason, 
and  still  less  to  the  Word  of  God,  to  say  that  a  man  has 
saving  faith,  who  merely  believes  in  Jesus  Christ  as  the 
Savior  of  the  world,  so  far  as  the  world  receives  him  in 
that  capacity ;  but  without  receiving  and  believing  in 
him  as  a  Savior  in  his  own  case. 

A  faith  of  this  kind,  and  which  goes  no  farther  than 
this,  is  practically  dead.  And  perhaps  it  may  be  said 
here  that  the  great  sin  of  the  people  of  our  own  age  is, 
not  that  they  have  merely  an  historical  faith,  and  stop 
in  that,  as  in  some  former  corrupt  periods  ;  but  that  they 
too  often  rest  satisfied  with  a  general  and  abstract  faith, 
which  is  theoretically  applicable  to  the  world  at  large, 
without  bringing  it  home  to  themselves.  They  believe 
in  the  general  truth,  without  ma!. ins:  a  specific  and  per- 
sonal application  ;  and  thus  serve  Satan  as  effectually, 
as  far  as  they  are  personally  concerned,  as  if  they  had 
only  an  historical  faith. 

(3.)  A  third  form  or  modification  of  the  great  princi- 
ple of  faith  is  what  may  be  called  appropriating  faith. 
The  necessity  of  this  form  of  faith  is  evident  from  even 
a  slight  consideration  of  the  subject.  The  usual  under- 
standing is,  with  the  exception  of  those  who  hold 
strictly  to  a  limited  atonement,  that  our  Savior  has 
provided  a  common  salvation,  adequate  to  the  wants  of 
all,  but  available  only  in  the  case  of  those  who  exercise 
faith.  How  far  this  salvation  will  practically  extend; 
how  many  individuals  will  avail  themselves  of  it ;  why 
some  are  taken  and  others  are  left,  we  cannot  tell  ;  iior 
is  it  very  obvious  that  it  is  important  for  us  to  know. 
But  certain  it  is,  that  no  one  will  accept  of  the  provision 
^hich  is  made  without  faith.  But  what  sort  of  faith  . 
The  answer  is,  It  is  that  which  can  speak  in  the  first 


44  ON    FAITH,    ESPECIALLY 

person ;  that  which  has  an  appropriating  power ;  tha 
which  can  say,  /  have  sinned  ;  /  have  need  of  this  sal 
vation  ;  /  take  it  home  to  myself.  It  is  not  enough  for 
me  to  say,  I  believe  that  Christ  died  for  others  ;  I  must 
also  believe  that  he  died  for  me  individually,  and  accept 
of  him  as  my  Savior.  It  is  not  meant  by  this  that,  pre- 
vious to  the  exercise  of  appropriating  faith,  and  inde- 
pendently of  such  exercise,  we  have  a  special  or  partic- 
ular interest  in  Christ,  separate  from  and  above  that  of 
others ;  and  that  appropriating  faith  consists  in  believing 
in  this  special  or  particular  interest.  An  appropriating 
faith  of  this  kind,  and  operating  in  this  manner,  might 
be  very  dangerous.  It  is  merely  meant,  that,  out  of 
the  common  interest,  which  is  broad  as  the  human  race, 
we  may,  by  means  of  faith,  take  individually  that  which 
the  gospel  permits  us  to  receive  and  regard  as  our  own  ; 
and  that  we  can  avail  ourselves  of  this  common  interest, 
so  as  to  make  it  personally  our  own,  in  no  other  way. 

God  deals  with  us  (certainly  for  the  most  part)  as 
individuals^  and  not  in  masses.  When  he  requires  men 
to  repent  of  sin,  to  exercise  gratitude,  to  love,  and  the 
like,  the  requisition  is  obviously  made  upon  them  as 
individuals,  as  separate  from  and  as  independent  of 
others.  It  is  not  possible  to  conceive  of  any  other  way 
in  which  obedience  to  the  requisition  can  be  rendered. 
Nor  is  it  conceivable  that  the  remedial  effect  of  the 
atonement  should  be  realized  in  any  other  way  than 
this.  How  is  it  possible,  if  I,  in  my  own  person,  have 
suffered  the  wound  of  sin,  that  a  remedy,  which  is  gen- 
eral, and  does  not  admit  of  any  specific  and  personal  ap- 
propriation, should  answer  my  purpose  ?  Furthermore, 
in  dying  for  all,  —  in  other  words,  in  furnishing  a  common 
salvation,  available  to  all  on  their  acceptance  of  the 
same,  —  Christ  necessarily  died  for  me  as  an  individual, 
since  the  common  mass  or  race  of  men  is  made  up  of 
individuals,  and  since  1  am  one  of  that  common  mass 
or  race.  And  indeed  we  can  have  no  idea  of  a  com- 
munity or  mass  of  men,  except  as  a  congregation  or 
collection  of  separate  persons.     In  dying  for  the  wholo 


APPROPRIATING    FAITH.  45 

on  certain  conditions,  he  necessarily,  therefore,  on  the 
same  conditions,  died  for  the  individuals  composing  that 
whole. 

It  would  seem  to  follow,  then,  from  what  has  been  said, 
that  the  faith  which  we  especially  need  is  a  personal  or 
appropriating  faith  ;  a  faith  which  will  disintegrate  us  from 
the  mass,  and  will  enable  us  to  take  Christ  home,  in  all 
bis  offices,  to  our  own  business  and  our  own  bosoms. 
We  must  be  enabled  to  say,  if  we  would  realize  the 
astonishing  cleansing  and  healing  efficacy  there  is  in 
the  gospel,  of  God,  that  he  is  my  God,  of  the  Savior, 
that  he  is  My  Savior.  We  must  be  enabled  to  lay  hold 
of  the  blessed  promises,  and  exclaim,  These  are  the  gift 
of  MY  Father,  these  are  the  purchase  of  my  Savior,  these 
are  meant  for  me. 

It  was  thus  that  patriarchs,  prophets,  and  apostles  be- 
lieved. This  was  the  faith  of  those  consecrated  ones,  of 
whom  the  world  was  not  worthy,  recorded  in  the  eleventh 
chapter  of  Hebrews.  Hear  the  language  of  the  Psalmist 
as  an  illustration  of  what  is  to  be  found  frequently  in 
the  Scriptures.  How  precise,  how  personal,  how  re- 
mote from  unmeaning  generalities  !     "  I  will  love  thee, 

0  Lord,  MY  strength.  The  Lord  is  my  rock,  and  my 
fortress,  and  my  deliverer  ;  my  God,  my  strength,  in  whom 

1  will  trust ;  my  buckler,  and  the  horn  of  my  salvation, 
and  MY  high  tower  ;  "  and  it  is  worthy  of  notice,  that 
the  first  word  of  the  Lord's  prayer  has  this  appropriating 
character  —  "Our  Father,  who  art  in  heaven." 

It  is  here,  in  connection  with  this  form  of  faith,  that 
we  find  the  great  and  efiective  instrument  of  progress 
and  of  victory  in  the  Interior  Life.  If  we  possess  an 
appropriating  faith,  and  if  our  faith  be  operative  and 
strong,  as  it  should  be,  we  shall  not  only  gain  the  victory 
over  the  various  temptations  which  beset  us  in  the  pres- 
ent life,  but  shall  find  ourselves  rapidly  forming  a  new 
and  wonderful  acquaintance  with  God.  In  the  present 
life,  a  strong  and  operative  appropriating  faith  is  the 
key  which  unlocks  the  mysteries  of  the  divine  nature, 
and  admits  the  soul  to  a  present  and  intuitive  ac.([uaint- 


46  ON    FAITH,    ESPECIALLY 

ance  with  its  exceeding  heights  and  depths  of  pur/ty 
and  love.  No  man  who  has  not  this  faith,  or  has  it  not 
in  a  high  degree,  can  be  said  to  hve  in  true  union  with 
the  divine  mind,  with  God  and  in  God,  Hence  we 
consider  it  important  to  say  distinctly,  in  endeavoring  to 
sketch  some  of  the  traits  and  principles  of  the  Interior 
or  Hidden  Life,  that  those  persons  will  have  no  true  and 
experimental  knowledge  of  the  things  which  we  affirm, 
who  merely  believe  generically  and  not  specifically  ;  in 
other  words,  who  believe  for  others  rather  than  them- 
selves ;  who,  in  the  exercise  of  a  sort  of  discursive  faith, 
which  embraces  the  mass  of  mankind,  cannot  be  said 
to  possess  it  individually,  and  personally,  and  for  their 
own  soul's  good.  Let  us,  then,  begin  to  learn  the  great 
lesson  of  faith  ;  of  faith  in  its  general  nature ;  of  faith 
in  its  various  modifications ;  and  particularly,  the  indis- 
pensable lesson  of  appropriating  faith.  Well  has  Martin 
Luther  somewhere  remarked,  that  the  marrow  of  the 
gospel  is  to  be  found  in  the  pronouns  meum  and  nostrum, 
iviY  and  OUR. 

Faith  is  better  to  us,  far  better,  than  mere  intellectual 
illumination  ;  better  than  any  strength  of  joyous  emotion ; 
better  than  any  thing  and  every  thing  else,  except  holy 
love,  of  which  it  is  the  true  parent.  The  fallen  angels, 
in  their  primitive  state  of  holiness,  had  illuminations, 
great  discoveries  of  God  and  of  heavenly  things,  and 
great  raptures.  But  when  their  faith  failed,  when  they 
ceased  to  have  perfect  confidence  in  God,  they  fell  into 
sin  and  ruin.  Our  first  parents  fell  in  the  same  way  ; 
because  they  ceased  to  have  confidence  in  God  ;  because 
they  ceased  to  believe  him  to  be  what  he  professed  tc 
be,  and  that  he  would  do  what  he  declared  he  would  do 
Their  previous  glorious  experiences,  their  illuminations 
and  joys,  availed  nothing,  as  soon  as  unbelief  entered. 
Unbelief  in  them,  and  unbelief  in  their  descendants,  has 
ever  been  the  great,  the  destructive  sin.  And  faith,  or 
the  other  hand,  an  implicit  confidence  in  God,  a  perfect 
self-abandonment  into  his  hands,  ever  has  been,  and, 
from  the  nature  of  the  case,  ever  must  be,  the  fountai/i 


APPROPRIATING    FAITH.  47 

i)f  all  other  internal  good,  the  life  of  all  other  life  in 
the  soul. 

And  It  may  be  remarked  here,  in  addition  to  what 
has  been  said,  that  God,  in  his  infinite  mercy,  knowing 
the  ruinous  effects  of  unbelief,  seems  determined  to  try, 
and  to  strengthen,  the  belief  of  his  people  during  theii 
present  state  of  probation.  His  word  declares  that  they 
must  walk  by  faith  in  the  present  life.  All  his  various 
providences  point  in  the  same  direction.  He  who 
attempts  to  walk  in  any  other  way  will  find  himself 
inconsistent,  changeable,  subject  to  unsuitable  elevations 
and  depressions,  and  in  many  respects  falling  short  of 
what  a  Christian  ought  to  be.  Not  that  faith  is  the 
only  Christian  principle,  or  the  only  Christian  grace. 
By  no  means.  But  it  is  the  fundamental  principle  ;  the 
prerequisite  and  preparatory  element ;  especially  of  that 
love  which  purifies  the  heart,  and  is  the  "tulfillisg 

OF  THE  LAW." 


48 


CHAPTER   SIXTH. 

CONSECRATION  TO  BE  FOLLOWED  BY  THE  FAITH  O. 
ACCEPTANCE. 

It  would  seem,  from  what  has  been  said,  that  the 
sanctification  of  the  heart,  and  all  those  various  blessings 
which  are  involved  in  sanctification,  depend,  if  not  ex- 
clusively, yet.  certainly  in  a  great  degree,  upon  two 
leading  principles :  first,  an  entire  consecration  ol 
ourselves  to  God ;  and,  secondly,  a  full  and  unwavering 
belief  that  the  consecration  is  accepted. 

Upon  this  second  principle,  which  has  already  been 
oriefly  referred  to  on  a  former  occasion,  we  propose  to 
say  something  further  in  the  present  chapter.  In  ma- 
king a  consecration  to  God  in  the  manner  which  has 
been  indicated,  we  take  a  step,  which,  considered  in  any 
point  of  view,  may  be  regarded  as  absolutely  necessary. 
It  is  not  enough,  however,  to  offer  all.  In  the  same 
spirit  of  reliance  on  God,  we  must  also  believe  that 

ALL    IS    ACCEPTED. 

It  is  the  belief  that  God  is  faithful  to  his  word ;  and 
that,  in  accordance  with  his  word,  he  will  receive,  and 
does  now  receive,  all  that  unreservedly  lay  themselves 
upon  his  altar,  which  seems  especially  to  secure  the 
presence  of  a  sanctifying  efficacy.  On  the  contrary,  he 
who  consecrates  himself  to  God,  however  sincere  he 
may  be  in  the  act  of  consecration,  but  who  greatly  dis- 
honors the  veracity  of  God  by  remaining  without  the 
faith  of  ACCEPTANCE,  deprives  himself  of  that  mighty 
power  which  faith  alone  is  capable  of  imparting,  and 
necessarily  lies  prostrate  and  exposed  to  all  the  dreadful 
attacks  of  the  adversary. 

It  is  in  connection  with  this  vie'v,  as  it  seems  to  me. 


FAITH    OF     ACCEPTANCE.  49 

that  we  are  enabled  to  appreciate  and  correctly  under- 
stand certain  passages  of  Scripture,  which  are  frequently- 
mentioned  in  connection  with  the  subject  of  present 
sanctification ;  such  as  the  following  :  "■  Therefore  I 
say  unto  you,  What  things  soever  ye  desire  when  ye 
pray,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye  shall  have 
them."  Mark  xi.  24.  "And  this  is  the  confidence  that 
we  have  in  him,  that,  if  we  ask  any  thing  according 
:o  his  will,  he  heareth  us.  And  if  we  know,"  (that  is, 
have  full  faith  or  confidence  in  him,)  "that  he  heareth 
us,  whatsoever  we  ask,  we  know  that  we  have  the  peti- 
tions that  we  desired  of  him."   1  John  v.  14. 

The  doctrine  of  these  important  passages  is  this  :  In 
consecrji^ting  ourselves  to  God,  and  in  praying  sincerely 
for  those  things  which  are  agreeable  to  the  will  of  God, 
such  as  our  sanctification  and  those  Christian  graces 
which  are  implied  in  sanctification,  we  may  be  certain 
that  they  will  be  given  to  us,  and  that  they  are  now 
given  to  us,  if  we  have  no  doubt  in  God's  word. 
The  certainty  of  the  result,  when  the  condition  on 
which  it  depends  is  fulfilled,  viz.,  a  full  belief  of  the 
truth  of  the  divine  declaration,  is  necessarily  involved 
in  the  veracity  of  God;  and  not,  as  is  sometimes  sup- 
posed, in  the  mere  fact  of  believing.  This  is  an  impor- 
tant distinction.  It  is  God's  everlasting  truth,  and 
nothing  but  his  truth,  which  is  the  real  foundation  of 
the  great  principle  involved  in  these  passages.  Never- 
theless, it  must  be  admitted,  that  the  result  cannot  take 
})lace  without  the  specific  act  of  faith  ;  because  the  de- 
fect or  want  of  such  faith  necessarily  makes  a  separa- 
tion between  God  and  our  souls,  and  especially  because 
the  promise  of  God,  which  is  the  true  and  effective 
source  of  the  renovating  power,  is  made  only  upon  the 
condition  of  the  act  of  faith.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  God, 
m  aid  of  our  own  unavailing  efforts,  takes  away  the  re- 
mains of  unbelief,  and  gives  us  perfect  faith  in  the 
promise,  which  by  implication  involves  perfect  faith  in 
all  the  divine  declarations,  he  necessarily  gives  us  the 
victory.  "As  many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave  ha 
5 


50  CONSECRATION    TO    BE    FOLLOWED 

power  to  become  the  sons  of  God,  even  to  them  thai 
BELIEVE  ON  HIS  NAME."  From  that  memorable  moment, 
whether  our  emotions  are  more  or  less  strong,  and 
whether  we  have  had  special  inward  signs  and  manifes- 
tations or  not,  we  truly  feel  the  purifying  energy.  The 
principle  of  faith,  perhaps  after  a  long  inward  strife,  has 
iDecome  ascendant.  We  have  now  assumed  a  new  posi- 
tion. We  are  now  become  like  little  children.  It 
can  now  be  said  of  us,  in  the  significant  language  of 
Scripture,  we  are  "  careful  for  nothing  ;  "  living  in  perfect 
simplicity  of  spirit ;  receiving  our  daily  bread  without 
disquieting  thoughts  of  the  morrow  ;  folded  and  pro- 
tected in  the  arms  of  Infinite  Love. 

(1.)  There  are  one  or  two  inferences,  which  flow 
out  of  the  views  which  have  been  expressed.  And  the 
first  is,  that  there  is,  in  reality,  no  need,  as  a  preparation 
for  sanctification,  of  much  mental  excitement,  of  pro- 
tracted sighing  and  lamentation,  of  long  fastings,  and 
macerations  and  mighty  strugglings  of  body.  It  is  true, 
that  some  of  these  things  may  exist,  to  a  certain  extent, 
without  being  altogether  profitless.  But  what  we  mean 
to  say  is,  that  they  do  not  appear  to  be  absolutely  neces- 
sary ;  and  there  is  sometimes  danger,  especially  when 
there  is  a  disposition  to  trust  in  them,  of  their  being  de- 
cidedly injurious.  The  process,  as  it  really  takes  place, 
may  probably  be  all  embraced  in  a  single  sentence : 
"Give  all,  and  take  all."  Lay  all  upon  the  altar,  and 
believe  that  God,  in  accordance  with  his  word,  receives 
it ;  and  always  continue  in  that  state  of  present  and  en- 
tire consecration,  and  of  present  and  entire  faith,  and  all 
is  done.     If  God  is  true,  it  cannot  be  otherwise. 

And  we  may  properly  add  here,  that  the  experience 
of  very  many  persons  is  found  to  coincide  with  this 
statement.  They  have  labored ;  they  have  prayed 
earnestly,  so  far  as  a  man  can  pray  without  the  requisite 
faith  ;  they  have  fasted  for  a  great  length  of  time  ;  they 
have  endured  physical  and  mental  suffering  in  various 
ways ;  but  all  without  securing  the  great  object  of 
their  desires  —  till  at  length,  wearied  with  this  appa- 
\ 


BY    THE    FAITH    OF    ACCEPTANCE.  51 

rently  fruitless  method  of  pursuit,  they  have  simply  left 
themselves  in  the  hands  of  God,  without  reserve ;  and 
have  believed,  in  accordance  with  his  own  declaration, 
that  he  did  noiu  accept  them.  And  thus  ceasing  from 
their  own  unavailing  efforts,  to  which,  perhaps,  they 
were  secretly,  but  wickedly,  inclined  to  attach  some  per- 
sonal merit,  they  have  entered,  by  simple  faith  alone, 
into  the  favor  and  the  rest  of  God.  They  are  from  that 
moment  cut  off  from  the  fatal  system  which  demands 
a  sign  or  manifestation,  either  inward  or  outward,  ad- 
ditional to  the  mere  word  of  God  and  confirmatory  of 
it,  and  from  all  preconceived  and  self-originated  notions 
of  what  they  should  like  to  have  and  what  they  should 
not  like  to  have  ;  and  have  become,  as  already  remarked, 
like  little  children  —  willing  to  let  their  heavenly  Father 
guide  them,  without  imposing  upon  him  any  conditions ; 
willing  to  have  much  or  little,  to  be  wise  or  to  be  ig- 
norant, to  go  or  to  stay,  to  sit  down  or  rise  up,  to  speak 
or  be  silent,  to  be  honored  or  dishonored,  to  be  on  the 
mount  of  joy  or  in  the  valley  of  temptation  and  sorrow, 
to  be  any  thing  or  nothing,  just  as  God  wills. 

(2.)  It  is  proper  to  remark,  further,  that  the  princi- 
ple, which  has  been  laid  down  in  its  general  form,  is 
applicable  also  in  particular  cases.  That  is  to  say,  it  is 
not  only  in  this  manner  that  we  may  be  led  to  experience 
the  genuine  sanctification  of  the  heart  in  the  more  gen- 
eral sense  of  the  terms ;  but  it  is  in  this  manner,  also, 
that  we  are  to  receive  the  particular  graces,  appropriate 
to  particular  occasions,  which  are  involved  in  sanctifica- 
tion. 

It  is  well  understood,  I  suppose,  that  the  exercises  of 
a  sanctified  heart  are  not  always  the  same,  but  will  vary 
more  or  less  with  the  occasions  which  call  them  into 
exercise.  The  grace  of  patience  is  especially  appro- 
priate to  one  occasion  ;  the  grace  of  gratitude  to  another. 
And  these,  and  all  other  Christian  graces,  come  from  the 
same  great  fountain,  viz.,  God  himself;  and  they  will 
come,  with  the  exception  perhaps  of  very  extraordinary 
cases,  all  in  the  same  way.  and  in  connection  with  **»< 


52  CONSECRATION  TO  BE  FOLLOWED 

same  great  principles.  If,  for  instance,  I  need  especial 
wisdom  and  prudence,  appropriate  to  a  particular  trying 
crisis,  I  must  go  to  God  and  ask  for  it,  just  as  I  had  done 
before  in  relation  to  the  general  object  of  sanctification  : 
FiKST,  in  the  spirit  of  entire  consecration,  and,  second, 
in  the  exercise  of  simple  faith.  And  by  faith,  here,  it  is 
hardly  necessary  to  repeat,  after  what  has  been  said,  we 
mean  a  faith  which  fully  believes  that  God  will  do,  and 
that,  if  the  present  is  in  his  view  the  appropriate 
time,  he  does  even  now  aceomplish,  that  which  he  has 
promised.  I  recollect  to  have  heard  a  Congregational 
minister  assert,  on  some  public  occasion,  that  to  prav 
ARIGHT  IS  TO  RECEIVE.  This  declaration  obviously  im> 
bodies  the  great  principle  now  under  consideration. 
Many  persons  go  to  God,  and  ask  earnestly  for  the  things 
they  need,  and  which  they  know  it  is  agreeable  to  his 
will  to  give  ;  but  they  appear  to  have  no  faith  that  God 
will  hear  them,  or  that  he  does  now  hear  them,  unless 
they  have  a  sign,  a  manifestation,  a  visible  outward 
sight  or  an  inward  audible  voice,  or  the  definite  experi- 
ence of  some  preconceived  feeling,  or  something  (it 
makes  but  little  difference  what  it  is)  which  they  ex- 
pect to  use,  and  which  they  do  use,  as  a  prop  for 
THEIR  FAITH  TO  REST  UPON,  iustcad  of  letting  it  rest 
upon  the  sure  and  blessed  Word  of  God.  O,  the  unut- 
terable blindness  of  the  human  mind,  when  left  to  itself ! 
'To  look  at  any  thing  but  the  simple  declaration  of  God. 
and  to  require  any  thing  but  that  as  a  ground  of  belief, 
is  to  go  directly  out  of  the  true  path.  It  is,  as  it  seems 
to  us,  deliberately,  and  of  choice,  to  throw  away  those 
precious  gifts  which  faith  imparts.  It  is  made  known 
throughout  the  Scriptures,  deliberately,  repeatedly,  and 
with  the  clearness  of  a  sunbeam,  that  the  life  of  God  in 
the  soul  is,  and  must  be,  a  life  of  simple  faith.  And 
in  the  exercise  of  this  faith,  accompanied  with  the  in- 
dispensable condition  of  entire  consecration,  it  may  be 
regarded  as  certain,  that,  Avhen  we  pray  for  those  spir- 
itual gifts  and  exercises  which  we  know  to  be  agreeable 
to  the  will  of  God,  we  shall  not  only  have  them,  but  if 
\ 


BY    THE    tAlTH    Ol     ACCl;.PTANCE.  ^J 

in  God's  view,  the  present  time  is  really  the  appropriate 
time  for  them,  we  do  have  them  now.  We  do  not  say, 
that  the  specific  blessing  for  which  we  ask  either  comes 
now,  or  will  come  hereafter,  in  precise  accordance  with 
oar  preconceived  opinions  ;  but  that  makes  no  difference 
as  to  the  fact.  If  there  is  really  and  absolutely  no  failure 
in  the  consecration  and  faith,  there  will  be  no  failure  in 
the  fact  and  promptness  of  the  divine  answer.  The 
answer — God's  answer  and  not  ours — will  certainly  come, 
in  accordance  with  the  reality  of  God's  knowledge  and 
goodness,  however  it  may  fail  to  come  in  accordance 
with  the  fallibility  of  our  own  previous  conceptions. 

And  we  may  add  here,  it  is  the  uniform  testimony 
of  those  who  have  been  enabled  to  live  the  life  of 
faith,  that  they  have  always  found  God  faithful  to  his 
word.  They  have  had  wisdom,  and  humility,  and  grati- 
tude, and  peace  of  spirit,  and  purity  of  heart,  just  as 
they  have  asked  for  it,  when  they  have  fully  committed 
themselves  into  God's  hands,  and  have  asked  fully  be- 
lieving in  God's  promise,  and  in  the  actual  bestowment 
of  the  blessing,  in  its  proper  time  and  place,  according 
to  the  promise. 


[The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  letter  which  I  had  the  pleasure 
of  receivino-  some  years  since  from  a  pious  young  man,  a  member  ol 
the  Baptist  church,  now  no  longer  living.  I  introduce  it  here,  as  il- 
lustrating, to  some  extent,  the  practical  application  of  the  doctrine?  of 
this  chapter.] 

After  speaking  of  his  deliverance  from  his  former 
bondage  to  sin,  the  writer  adds  :  "  I  humbly  trust  that 
God  has,  in  some  measure,  taught  me  how  to  live,  from 
moment  to  moment,  by  simple  faith — a  truly  blessed 
and  glorious  way.  This  is  the  highway  of  holiness, 
cast  up  for  the  ransomed  of  the  Lord  to  walk  in.  Jesus 
is  now  a  charming  name.  Jesus  is  now  all,  and  in  all, 
to  me.  I  can  now  say,  '  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory 
save  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  the 


54  CONSECRA'HON  TO  BE  FOLLOWED 

world  is  crucified  unto  me,  and  I  am  crucified  unto  the 
world.'  I  found  all  my  prayers,  tears,  and  earnest  de- 
sires, unavailing.  I  spent  .days  in  fasting  and  prayer. 
At  the  midnight  hour,  and  at  early  dawn,  I  prayed  for 
holiness ;  but  still  I  found  my  soul  destitute  of  holi- 
ness, the  pearl  of  great  price.  I  found  this,  [course  of 
proceeding,]  however,  blessed  to  me  ;  at  times  greatly 
so  ;  and  the  power  of  sin  was  in  a  great  measure 
broken.  At  length  God  was  pleased  to  show  me  that  I 
must  believe  that  I  do  receive  the  things  that  I  ask  for. 
In  a  moment  I  saw  my  error.  I  had  long  been  con- 
vinced, that  I  staggered  at  faith  ;  that  unbelief  was  my 
great  sin ;  and  accordingly  would  direct  all  my  forces  to 
this  point.  I  tried  to  believe.  I  prayed  for  faith.  I 
sought  for  faith  earnestly.  Sometimes  it  seemed  that 
Christ  was  near  me,  and  the  prize  almost  within  my 
reach  ;  and  I  would  say  in  my  heart  and  aloud,  '  Lord,  I 
do  believe  ; '  and  then  I  would  watch  my  heart,  to  see 
what  the  eff'ect  was.  But  at  this  time  [after  having 
made  these  various  eff'orts]  it  was  clearly  revealed  to 
me,  that  I  was  waiting  for  evidence,  the  evidence  ot 
sight,  before  I  would  believe  ;  and  that  I  was  unwilling 
to  take  the  evidence  God  had  aff'orded,  viz.  his  inviolable 
word  and  promise.  I  saw  now,  instead  of  praying  for 
faith,  [without  exercising  it,]  instead  of  seeking  for  it, 
looking  for  and  expecting  it,  [without  having  it,]  I  must 
believe.  It  appeared  to  me  a  reasonable  command, 
'  Reckon  yourselves  dead  indeed  unto  sin,  but  alive  unto 
God,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord  ;  '  and  I  resolved 
that  I  would  obey  this  command  ;  for  it  was  my  impera- 
tive duty.  I  would  believe,  because  God  had  com- 
manded it.  It  seemed  a  fearful  step  to  take  ;  it  was 
an  hour  of  conflict  ;  but  Jesus  triumphed.  I  saw  that 
all  other  means  had  failed ;  and  this  was  my  only  re- 
source. I  accordingly  entered  into  an  engagement  with 
God,  that  henceforth,  until  faith  should  be  exchanged 
for  sight,  I  would  never  doubt ;  I  would  live  in  the  en- 
tire surrender  of  my  whole  being  to  God,  believing  that 
he   accepted  the  sacrifice,   and  that  I  was   wholly   the 


BY    THE    FAITH    OF     ACCEPTANCE  55 

Loi'd's.  I  have  found  my  God  a  faithful  God  ;  and 
my  whole  soul  exclaims,  '  Glory,  glory  be  to  thee,  O 
God,  for  this  living  way  of  salvation  through  faith  in 
Christ.'  May  an  humble,  holy  life  praise  my  Redeemer 
for  his  unspeakable  goodness  to  me,  and  an  eternity 
complete  and  perfect  what  time  begins  !  '' 


•'  Jesus,  the  life,  the  truth,  the  way, 

In  whom  1  now  believe  ; 
As  taught  by  Thee,  in  faith  1  pray, 

Expecting  to  receive. 

"  Forgive,  and  make  my  nature  whole> 
My  inbred  malady  remove  ; 

To  perfect  health  restore  my  soul. 
To  perfect  holiness  and  lore.' 


5b 


CHAPTER    SEVENTH. 


OF    ASSURANCE    OF    FAITH. 


It  is  worthy  of  notice,  both  as  a  religious  and  an  his- 
torical fact,  that,  in  a  number  of  Christian  sects,  a  distinct 
and  well-defined  modification  of  personal  religious  expe- 
rience has  for  many  ages  been  known  and  recognized 
under  the  denomination  of  assurance  of  faith. 

The  Confession  of  Faith,  adopted  by  the  ,Congrega- 
tional  churches  in  England  in  1658,  and  afterwards 
adopted,  with  some  slight  variations,  by  the  American 
Congregational  churches,  in  1680,  has  the  following  ex- 
pressions, in  a  chapter  especially  devoted  to  this  subject 
"  Such  as  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  love  him  in  sin- 
cerity, endeavoring  to  walk  in  all  good  conscience  before 
fiim,  may  in  this  life  be  certainly  assured  that  they  are 
in  a  state  of  grace,  and  may  rejoice  in  the  hope  of  the 
glory  of  God,  which  hope  shall  never  make  them 
ashamed.  This  certainty  is  not  a  bare  conjectural  and 
probable  persuasion,  grounded  upon  a  fallible  hope,  but 
an  infallible  assurance  of  faith,  founded  on  the  blood 
and  righteousness  of  Christ,  revealed  in  the  gospel,  and 
also  ujjon  the  inward  evidence  of  those  graces,  unto 
which  promises  are  made,  and  on  the  immediate  witness 
of  the  Spirit." 

The  phraseology,  which  is  employed  to  indicate  this' 
form  of  experience,  seems  to  have  had  its  origin  in  the 
following  passage  in  Hebrews:  "Having,  therefore, 
brethren,  boldness  to  enter  into  the  holiest  by  the  blood 
of  Jesus,  by  a  new  and  living  way,  which  he  hath  con- 
secrated for  lis,  through  the  veil,  that  is  to  say,  his  flesh  . 
and  having  a  high  priest  over  the  house  of  God  :  let  us 


OF    ASSURANCE    OF    FAITH.  5i 

draw  near  with  a  true  heart,  in  full  assurance  o» 
FAITH,  having  our  hearts  sprinkled  from  an  evil  con- 
science, and  our  bodies  washed  with  pure  water."  Heb. 
X.  19—22. 

In  the  early  periods  of  this  country,  when  the  piety 
of  our  ancestors  was  chastened  and  invigorated  by  heavy 
afflictions,  the  instances  of  assurance  of  faith  seem  to 
have  been  frequent.  Many  were  the  cases  of  individu- 
als, men  of  wonderful  prayer  and  faith,  who  could  say 
with  the  apostle,  "  I  am  persuaded,  that  neither  life  nor 
death,  nor  angels,  nor  principalities,  nor  powers,  shall  be 
able  to  separate  us  from  the  love  of  God,  which  is  in 
Christ  Jesus  our  Lord."  And  it  is  a  matter  of  thank- 
fulness, that  instances  of  full  assurance,  though  less  fre- 
quent than  it  is  desirable  they  should  be,  are  not  un- 
known even  now. 

The  basis  of  this  form  of  religious  experience,  as  the 
name  given  to  it  itself  indicates,  is  faith.  And,  in  this 
respect,  it  stands  undoubtedly  on  the  same  footing  with 
every  other  form  of  true  religious  experience.  Nor  do  I 
know  that  the  faith,  which  is  experienced  in  these  marked 
and  triumphant  instances  of  the  religious  life,  is  different 
from  what  is  experienced  in  other  cases,  except  in  the 
single  circumstance  of  degree.  It  is  a  very  high  degree 
of  faith.  The  term  assurance,  which,  in  its  ordinary 
acceptation,  excludes  the  idea  of  doubting,  is  an  evidence 
that  it  is  so.  The  phrase  assurance  of  faith  conveys, 
in  its  own  terms  and  on  its  own  face,  the  idea  of  faith 
without  doubting ;  in  otber  words,  of  perfect  faith. 
Looking  at  the  subject  in  the  light  of  the  terms  used, 
I  think  we  are  at  liberty  to  say,  that  assurance  of  faith 
IS  synonymous  with  undoubting  or  perfect  faith.  The 
instances  themselves  of  this  form  of  experience  —  whether 
they  are  such  as  are  made  known  to  us  historically  in  the 
lives  of  those  who  are  said  to  have  lived  and  died  in  as- 
surance, or  such  as  have  come  within  the  range  and  no 
tice  of  more  recent  observations  —  sustain  this  view. 
Those  who  are  in  the  enjoyment  of  this  state  of  mind 
are  a  people  that  have  an  unwavering  confidence  in  God. 


5S  OF    AS&'JRANCE    OF    FAITH. 

Ill  the  language  of  John  Rogers,  the  memorable  martyr 
of  Smithfield,  given  in  a  short  published  account  of  his 
early  religious  experience,  "  they  live  by  faith  in  the  Son 
of  God,  above  the  letter,  in  the  life  ;  above  the  form,  in 
the  power;  above  self,  in  a  higher  self;  so  that  they  are 
no  longer  themselves  ;  but  are  by  the  grace  of  God  what 
they  are  ;  not  doubting  that  they  shall  appear  perfect 
in  Christ's  righteousness,  being  pardoned  by  his  death, 
purged  by  his  blood,  sanctified  by  his  spirit,  and  saved 
by  his  power." 

We  have  an  instructive  and  precious  illustration  of  the 
state  of  mind,  denominated  assurance  of  faith,  in  the 
instances  of  early  saints  mentioned  in  the  eleventh  chap- 
ter of  Hebrews  ;  in  Abel,  who  ''  offered  unto  God  a  more 
excellent  sacrifice  than  Cain ;  "  in  Enoch,  who  "  had 
this  testimony,  that  he  pleased  God ;  "  in  Abraham,  "who 
went  out,  not  knowing  whither  he  went,"  and  who, 
"  when  he  was  tried,  offered  up  Isaac  ;  "  in  Moses,  "who 
esteemed  the  reproach  of  Christ  greater  riches  than  the 
treasures  of  Egypt ;  "  in  Gideon,  Barak,  David,  Samuel, 
and  the  prophets  ;  of  whom,  as  well  as  of  others,  the  testi- 
mony is  given,  that  through  faith  they  "  subdued  king- 
doms, wrought  righteousness,  obtained  promises,  stopped 
the  mouths  of  lions,  of  whom  the  world  was  not  wor- 
thy ; "  and  in  regard  to  whom  it  is  expressly  said,  that 
God  himself  was  "not  ashamed  to  be  called  their 
God." 

As  the  subject  of  an  assured  acceptance  with  God  is, 
in  our  apprehension,  one  of  preeminent  importance,  and 
as  it  has  in  these  latter  days  received  less  attention  than 
it  did  formerly,  and  far  less  than  it  deserves,  we  have 
thought  it  might  be  proper  to  introduce  here  an  instruc- 
tive passage  from  the  writings  of  President  Edwards. 
After  referring  to  some  persons,  who  supposed  that  no 
such  thing  is  to  be  expected  in  the  church  of  God  as  a 
full  and  absolute  assurance,  except  in  some  very  extra- 
ordinary circumstances,  such  as  that  of  martyrdom,  and 
asserting  that  this  view  is  contrary  to  the  doctrine  of 
Protestants,  as  maintained  by  their  most  celebrated  wn- 


OF    ASSCTRANCE      >F    FAITH  59 

ters,  he  proceeds  as  follows :     "  It  is  manifest,  that  it 
was  a  common  thing  for  the  saints,  that  we  have  a  his- 
tory or  particular  account  of  in  Scripture,  to  be  assured. 
God,  in  the  plainest  and  most  positive  manner,  revealed 
and  testified  his  special  favor  to  Noah,  Abraham,  Isaac, 
Jacob,  Moses,  Daniel,  and  others.     Job  often  speaks  of 
his  sincerity  and  uprightness  with  the  greatest  imaginable 
confidence  and  assurance,  often  calling  God  to  witness 
to  it ;  and  says  plainly,  '  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liv- 
eth,  and  that  I  shall  see  him  for  myself,  and  not  for  an- 
other.' Job  xix.  25,  &c.    David,   throughout  the    book 
of  Psalms,  almost  every  where  speaks,  without  any  hesi- 
tancy, and  in  the  most  positive  manner,  of  God,  as  his 
God  ;  glorying  in  him  as  his  portion  and  heritage,  his 
rock  and  confidence,  his  shield,  salvation,  and  high  tow- 
er, and  the  like.     Hezekiah  appeals  to  God,  as  one  that 
knew  he  had  walked  before  him  in  truth,  and  with  a 
perfect  heart.     2  Kings  xx.  3.  Jesus  Christ,  in  his  dying 
discourse  with  his  eleven  disciples,  in  the  14th,  15th,  and 
16th  chapters  of  John,  (which  was,  as  it  were,  Christ's 
last  will  and  testament  to  his  disciples,  and  to  his  whole 
church,)  often  declares  his  special  and  everlasting  love  to 
them,  in  the  plainest  and  most  positive  terms  ;  and  prom- 
ises them  a  future  participation  with  him  in  his  glory, 
in  the  most  absolute  manner ;  and  tells  them,  at  the  same 
time,  that  he  does  so  to  the  end  that  their  joy  might  be 
full.     John  XV.  11.     'These  things  have  I  spoken  unto 
you,  that  my  joy  might  remain  in  you,  and  that  your 
joy  might  be  full.'     See  also,  at  the  conclusion  of  his 
whole  discourse,  chap.  xvi.  33 :  '  These  things  have  I 
spoken  unto  you,  that  in  me  ye  might  have  peace.     In 
the  world  ye  shall    have  tribulation  ;  but  be  of  good 
cheer,    I    have  overcome  the  world.'     Christ  was  not 
afraid  of  speaking  too  plainly  and  positively  to  them  ; 
he  did  not  desire  to  hold  them  in  the  least  suspense. 
And  he  concluded  that  last  discourse  of  his  with  a  prayer 
m  their  presence,  wherein  he  speaks  positively  to  his 
Father  of  those  eleven  disciples,  as  having  all  of  them 
savingly  known  him,  and  believed  in  him,  and  received 


60  Oi     ASSURANCE    OF    FAITH. 

and  kept  his  word  ;  and  that  they  were  not  of  the  world  ; 
and  that  for  their  sakes  he  sanctified  himselt  ;  and  that 
his  will  was,  that  they  should  be  with  him  in  his  glory  ; 
and  tells  his  Father,  that  he  spake  these  things  in  his 
prayer,  to  the  end  that  his  joy  might  be  fulfilled  in  them  : 
ver.  13.  By  these  things  it  is  evident,  that  it  is  agreea- 
ble to  Christ's  designs,  and  the  contrived  ordering  and  dis- 
position Christ  makes  of  things  in  his  church,  that  there 
should  be  sufficient  and  abundant  provision  made,  that 
his  saints  might  have  full  assurance  of  their  future  glory. 

"  The  apostle  Paul,  through  all  his  epistles,  speaks  in 
in  assured  strain  ;  ever  speaking  positively  of  his  special 
•elation  to  Christ,  his  Lord,  and  Master,  and  Redeemer  ;* 
and  his  interest  in,  and  expectation  of,  the  future  reward. 
It  would  be  endless  to  take  notice  of  all  places  that 
might  be  enumerated.  I  shall  mention  but  three  or  four  : 
Gal.  ii.  20.  'Christ  liveth  in  me;  and  the  life  which  1 
now  live  in  the  flesh,  I  live  by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of 
God,  who  loved  me  and  gave  himself  for  me.'  Phil.  i. 
21.  'For  me  to  live  is  Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain.' 
2  Tim.  i.  12.  '  I  know  whom  I  have  believed,  and  I 
am  persuaded  that  he  is  able  to  keep  that  which  I  have 
committed  unto  him  against  that  day.'  2  Tim.  iv.  7,  8. 
'  I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course^ 
I  have  kept  the  faith.  Henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for 
me  a  crown  of  righteousness,  which  the  Lord,  the 
righteous  judge,  will  give  me  at  that  day.' 

"  And  the  nature  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  and  God's 
declared  ends  in  the  appointment  and  constitution  of 
things  in  that  covenant,  do  plainly  show  it  to  be  God's 
design  to  make  ample  provision  for  the  saints'  having  an 
assured  hope  of  eternal  life,  while  living  here  upon 
earth.  For  so  are  all  things  ordered  and  contrived  in 
that  covenant,  that  every  thing  might  be  made  sure  on 
God's  part.  '  The  covenant  is  ordered  in  all  things  and 
sure : '  the  promises  are  full,  and  very  often  repeated, 
and  various  ways  exhibited ;  and  there  are  many  wit- 
nesses and  many  seals ;  and  God  has  confirmed  his 
promises  with  an  oath.     And  God's  declared  design  in 


OF    ASSURANCE    OF    FAITH.  61 

all  this  is,  that  the  heirs  of  the  promises  might  have  an 
undoubting  hope,  and  full  joy,  in  an  assurance  of  their 
future  glory.  Heb.  vi.  17,  18.  '  Wherein  God,  willing 
more  abundantly  to  show  unto  the  heirs  of  promise  the 
immutability  of  his  counsel,  confirmed  it  by  an  oath 
that  by  two  immutable  things,  in  which  it  was  im- 
possible for  God  to  lie,  we  might  have  a  strong  conso- 
lation, who  have  fled  for  refuge  to  lay  hold  on  the  hope 
set  before  us.'  But  all  this  would  be  in  vain,  to  any 
such  purpose  as  the  saiuts'  strong  consolation,  and  hope 
of  their  obtaining  future  glory,  if  their  interest  in  those 
sure  promises,  in  ordinary  cases,  was  not  attainable  ; 
for  God's  promises  and  oaths,  let  them  be  as  sure  as 
they  will,  cannot  give  strong  hope  and  comfort  to  any 
particular  person,  any  further  than  he  can  know  that  those 
promises  are  made  to  him.  And  in  vain  is  provision 
made,  in  Jesus  Christ,  that  believers  might  be  perfect  as 
pertaining  to  the  conscience,  as  is  signified,  Heb.  ix.  9, 
if  assurance  of  freedom  from  the  guilt  of  sin  is  not 
attainable. 

"It  further  appears  that  assurance  is  not  only  attain- 
able in  some  very  extraordinary  cases,  but  that  all 
Christians  are  directed  to  give  all  diligence  to  make  Jiieir 
calling  and  election  sure  ;  and  are  told  how  they  may  do 
it ;  2  Pet.  i.'  5 — 8.  And  it  is  spoken  of  as  a  thing 
very  unbecoming  of  Christians,  and  an  argument  of 
something  very  blamible  in  them,  not  to  know  whether 
Christ  be  in  them  or  no.  2  Cor.  xiii.  5.  '  Know  ye  not 
your  own  selves,  how  that  Jesus  Christ  is  in  you,  except 
ye  be  reprobates  ? '  And  it  is  implied  that  it  is  an  argu- 
ment of  a  very  blamable  negligence  in  Christians,  if 
they  practise  Christianity  after  such  a  manner  as  to 
remain  uncertain  of  the  reward,  in  that  1  Cor.  ix.  26 
'I  therefore  so  run,  as  not  uncertainly.'  And,  to  add 
no  more,  it  is  manifest  that  Christians'  knowing  their 
interests  in  the  saving  benefits  of  Christianity  is  a  thing 
ordinarily  attainable,  because  the  apostles  tell  us  by 
what  means  Christians  (and  not  only  apostles  and 
martyrs)  were  wont  to  know  this.  1  Cor.  ii.  12.  '  Now 
6 


62  OF    ASSURANCE    OF    FAITH. 

we  have  received,  not  the  spirit  of  the  world,  but  the 
Spirit  which  is  of  God  ;  that  we  might  know  the  things 
that  are  freely  given  to  us  of  God.'  And  1  John  ii.  3. 
•  And  hereby  we  do  knoio  that  we  know  him,  if  we 
keep  his  commandments.'  And  ver.  5.  '  Hereby  knoiv 
we  that  we  are  in  him.'  Chap.  iii.  14.  '  We  know  that 
we  have  passed  from  death  unto  life,  because  we  love 
the  brethren.'  Ver.  19.  'Hereby  we  knoio  that  we 
are  of  the  truth,  and  shall  assure  our  hearts  before  him.' 
Ver.  24.  '  Hereby  we  know  that  he  abideth  in  us,  by 
the  Spirit  which  he  hath  given  us.'  So  chap.  iv.  13, 
and  chap.  v.  2,  and  ver.  19."  * 

Such  are  the  strong  and  well-sustained  statements  of 
one,  in  whom  Congregational ists  have  been  accustomed 
to  place  a  high  degree  of  confidence.  But  this  form  of 
Christian  experience,  and  under  this  specific  name,  has 
not  been  limited  to  one  denomination.  Instances  of 
assurance  of  faith  appear  to  have  been  frequent  among 
the  United  Brethren  or  Moravians,  especially  in  tho 
early  periods  of  their  religious  history.  Mr.  Wesley, 
the  founder  of  the  Methodist  societies,  relates,  in  the 
Journal  of  his  Life,  that  he  visited,  in  the  year  1738, 
the  United  Brethren  or  Moravians  at  Hernhuth,  the 
place  where  they  were  first  collected  and  organized  into 
a  society.  At  that  time,  as  well  as  in  later  periods  of 
his  life,  Mr.  Wesley  was  a  careful  and  philosophic  ob- 
server of  men  ;  and  was  particularly  interested  to  notice 
and  to  analyze  the  varieties  of  Christian  experience  and 
character.  And  accordingly,  he  took  pains  to  converse 
privately  and  very  intimately  with  a  number  of  the 
Moravian  Brethren,  who  appeared  to  be  leading  men 
both  for  their  intellectual  capacity  and  their  piety  ;  and 
in  his  Journal  has  recorded  what  he  learned  from  them. 
We  will  here  give  an  abstract  of  some  of  these  state- 
ments ;  particularly  of  those  parts  which  may  be  con- 
sidered as  illustrating  historically  the  doctrine  and  the 
nature  of  assurance  of  faith,  retainmg  precisely  th(! 
sentiment,  and,  as  far  as  possible,  the  expression. 

*  Edwardfs  on    he  Affections,  Part  It. 


OF    ASSUKANCE    OF    FAITH.  OH 

Christian  David. — Having  given  us  to  understandj 
that  in  early  life  he  was  a  Roman  Catholic,  this  person 
proceeds  to  say,  "  I  was  much  troubled  at  hearing  some 
people  affirm,  that  the  pope  was  Antichrist.  I  read  the 
Lutheran  books  written  against  the  Papists,  and  the 
Popish  books  written  against  the  Lutherans.  I  easily 
saw  that  the  Papists  were  in  the  wrong  ;  but  not  that 
the  Lutherans  were  in  the  right.  I  was  in  the  city  of 
Berlin  when  1  renounced  the  errors  of  Popery.  After  this 
I  led  a  very  strict  life  ;  read  much  and  prayed  much.  I 
did  all  I  could  to  conquer  sin :  yet  it  profited  not,  I 
was  still  conquered  by  it.  At  length,  not  knowing 
what  to  do,  I  enlisted  as  a  soldier.  I  had  a  Testament 
and  a  hymn  book ;  but  in  one  day  both  my  books  were 
stolen.  This  almost  broke  my  heart.  After  six  months 
I  left  the  army,  and  went  to  Gorlitz  in  Saxony.  There 
I  fell  into  a  dangerous  illness.  For  twenty  weeks  I 
could  not  stir  hand  or  foot.  Pastor  Sleder  came  to  me 
every  day  ;  and  from  him  it  was,  that  the  gospel  of 
Christ  came  first  with  power  to  my  soul. 

*'  It  was  then  I  found  the  peace  I  had  long  sought  m 
vain.  Not  indeed  all  at  once  ;  but  by  degrees.  For  I 
could  not  immediately  believe  I  was  forgiven,  because 
of  the  mistake  I  was  then  in  concerning  forgiveness.  I 
thought  I  was  to  feel  sin  in  me  no  more,  from  the  time 
it  was  forgiven.  Therefore,  although  I  had  the  mastery 
over  sin,  yet  I  often  feared  it  was  not  forgiven,  because 
it  still  stirred  in  me  ;  and  at  some  times  thrust  sore  at 
me,  that  I  might  fall.  I  did  not  then  see,  that  the  being 
iustified  by  faith  is  widely  difierent  from  having  a  full 
ASSURANCE  of  faith.  I  remembered  not,  that  our  Lord 
told  his  apostles  before  his  death,  '  Ye  are  clean'  [or 
forgiven ;]  whereas  it  was  not  till  many  days  after  it, 
that  they  were  fully  assured,  by  the  Holy  Ghost  then 
received,  of  their  reconciliation  to  God  through  his  blood. 

"  After  some  years  I  plainly  perceived,  that  full 
assurance  of  faith  was  a  distinct  gift  from  justifymg 
faith,  and  often  not  given  till  long  after  it ;  and  that 
justification  does  not  imply,  that  sin  should  not  stir  in 


64  OF    ASSURANCE    OF    FAiTH. 

US,  but  only  that  it  should  not  conquer.  And  now  first  it 
was  that  I  had  full  assurance  of  my  own  reconciliation 
to  God,  through  Christ.  For  many  years  I  had  had  the 
forgiveness  of  my  sins,  and  a  measure  of  the  peace  of 
God  ;  but  I  had  not  till  now  that  witness  of  his  Spirit, 
which  shuts  out  all  doubt  and  fear.  In  all  my  trials  I 
had  always  a  confidence  in  Christ,  who  had  done  so 
great  things  for  me.  But  it  was  a  confidence  mixed 
with  fear.  I  was  afraid  I  had  not  done  enough.  There 
was  always  something  dark  in  my  soul.     But  now  the 

CLEAR   LIGHT   SHINED." 

Michael  Linner.  —  The  account  of  the  religious 
experience  of  this  individual,  as  given  by  Mr.  Wesley, 
is  so  concise  that  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  abridge  it. 
It  is  as  follows:  "  The  church  of  Moravia  was  once  a 
glorious  church.  But  it  is  now  covered  with  thick 
darkness.  It  is  abcut  sixteen  years  ago  that  I  began  to 
seek  for  light.  I  had  a  New  Testament,  which  I  con- 
stantly read  ;  upon  which  I  often  said  to  myself,  '  This 
says,  I  ought  to  be  humble,  and  meek,  and  pure  in 
heart.  How  comes  it  that  I  am  not  so  ? '  I  went  to  the 
best  men  I  knew,  and  asked,  '  Is  not  this  the  word  of 
God  ?  And  if  so,  ought  I  not  to  be  such  as  this  requires, 
both  in  heart  and  life  ? '  They  ansv.^ered,  '  The  first 
Christians  were  such;  but  it  was  impossible  for  us  to 
be  so  perfect.'  This  answer  gave  me  no  satisfaction.  I 
knew  God  could  not  mock  his  creatures,  by  requiring  of 
them  what  he  saw  it  was  impossible  for  them  to  perform. 
I  asked  others,  but  still  had  the  same  answer,  which 
troubled  me  more  and  more. 

"About  fourteen  years  ago,  I  was  more  than  ever 
convinced  that  I  was  wholly  different  from  what  God 
required  me  to  be.  I  consulted  his  word  again  and 
again,  but  it  spoke  nothing  but  condemnation  ;  till  at 
last  I  could  not  read,  nor  indeed  do  any  thing  else, 
having  no  hope  and  no  spirit  left  in  me.  I  had  been  in 
this  state  for  several  days,  when,  being  musing  by 
myself,  these  words  came  strongly  into  my  mind  :  "God 
so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  hi?  only-begott^^n  Son, 


OF    ASSURANCE    OF    FAITH.  65 

t,o  the  end  that  all  who  believe  in  him  should  not  perish, 
but  have  everlasting  life.'  I  thought,  ^All?  '  Then  I 
am  one.  Then  he  is  given  for  me.  But  I  am  a  sinner. 
And  he  '  came  to  save  sinners.'  Immediately  my  bur- 
den dropped  off,  and  my  heart  was  at  rest. 

"  But  the  full  assurance  of  faith  I  had  not  yet ;  nor 
for  the  two  years  I  continued  in  Moravia.  When  I  was 
driven  out  thence  by  the  Jesuits,  I  retired  hither,  and 
was  soon  after  received  into  the  church.  And  here, 
after  some  time,  it  pleased  our  Lord  to  manifest  himself 
more  clearly  to  my  soul,  and  give  me  that  full  sense  of 
acceptance  in  him,  which  excludes  all  doubt  and  fear. 

"Indeed,  the  leading  of  the  Spirit  is  different  in  dif- 
ferent souls.  His  more  usual  method,  I  believe,  is  to 
give,  in  one  and  the  same  moment,  the  forgiveness  of 
sins,  and  a  full  assurance  of  that  forgiveness.  Yet  in 
many  he  works  as  he  did  in  me  ;  giving  first  the  re- 
mission of  sins,  and,  after  some  weeks,  or  months,  or 
years,  the  full  assurance  of  it." 

Zach ARIAS  Neusser.  —  "I  was  born  on  the  borders 
of  Moravia ;  and  was  first  awakened  by  my  cousin  Wen- 
sel,  who  soon  after  carried  me  to  hear  Mr.  Steinmetz,  a 
Lutheran  minister,  about  thirty  English  miles  off.  I 
was  utterly  astonished.  The  next  week  I  went  again ; 
after  which,  going  to  him  in  private,  I  opened  my 
heart,  and  told  him  all  my  doubts ;  those  especially 
concerning  Popery.  He  offered  to  receive  me  into  com- 
munion with  him,  which  I  gladly  accepted  of;  and  in 
a  short  time  after,  I  received  the  Lord's  supper  from 
his  hands.  While  I  was  receiving,  I  felt  Christ  had 
died  for  me.  I  knew  I  was  reconciled  to  God ;  and  all 
that  day  I  was  overwhelmed  with  joy,  having  those 
words  continually  on  my  mind,  '  This  day  is  salvation 
come  to  my  house:  I  also  am  a  son  of  Abraham.'  This 
]oy  I  had  continually  for  a  year  and  a  half,  and  my 
heart  was  full  of  love  to  Christ. 

''  After  this,  I  had  thoughts  of  leaving  Moravia.  1 
was  convinced  it  would  be  better  for  my  soul.  Yet  1 
would  not  do  it,  because  I  got  more  money  here  than  1 
6* 


36  OF    ASSURANCE    OF    FAITH. 

could  elsewKere.  When  I  reflected  on  this,  I  said  to 
myself,  '  This  is  mere  covetoiisness.  But  if  I  am  covet- 
ous, I  am  not  a  child  of  God.'  Hence  I  fell  into  deep 
perplexity  ;  nor  could  I  find  any  way  to  escape  out  of  it. 
In  this  slavery  and  misery  I  was  for  five  years  ;  at 
the  end  of  which  I  fell  sick.  In  my  sickness  my 
heart  was  set  at  liberty,  and  peace  returned  to  my 
soul.  I  now  prayed  earnestly  to  God  to  restore  my 
health,  that  I  might  leave  Moravia.  He  did  restore  it 
and  I  immediately  removed  to  Hernhuth.  After  I  had 
been  here  a  quarter  of  a  year,  the  count  *  preached  one 
day  upon  the  nature  of  sanctification.  I  found  I  had 
not  experienced  what  he  described,  and  was  greatly 
terrified.  I  went  to  my  cousin  Wensel,  who  advised 
me  to  read  over  the  third,  fourth,  and  fifth  chapters  of 
the  Epistle  to  the  Romans.  I  did  so.  I  had  read  them 
a  hundred  times  before;  yet  now  they  appeared  quite 
new,  and  gave  me  such  a  sight  of  God's  justifying  the 
ungodly,  as  I  never  had  before.  On  Sunday  I  went  to 
church  at  Berthorldsdorf ;  and  while  we  were  singing 
those  words,  loir  glauhen  auc/i  in  Jesiim  Clwist^  —  '  We 
believe  also  in  Jesus  Christ,'  — I  clearly  saw  him  as  my 
Savior.  I  wanted  immediately  to  be  alone,  and  to  pour 
out  my  heart  before  him.  My  soul  was  filled  with 
thankfulness  ;  and  with  a  still,  soft,  quiet  joy,  such  as  it 
is  impossible  to  express.  I  had  full  assurance  that  '  my 
Beloved  '  was  '  mine,'  and  '  I '  was  '  his  ; '  which  has 
never  ceased  to  this  day.  I  see  by  a  clear  light  what  is 
pleasing  to  him,  and  I  do  it  continually  in  love.  I  re- 
ceive daily  from  him  peace  and  joy  ;  and  I  have  nothing 
to  do  but  to  praise  him." 

Arvid  Gradin,  a  Swede,  born  in  Dalecarlia.  His 
statement  is  as  follows:  "  Before  I  was  ten  years  old, 
I  had  a  serious  sense  of  religion,  and  great  fervor  in 
prayer.  This  was  increased  by  my  reading  much  in  the 
New  Testament  ;  but  the  more  I  read,  the  more  earnestly 
I  cried  out,  '  Either  these  things  are  not  true,  or  we 
are  not  Christians.'     About  sixteen,  my  sense  of  religioi 

"  Coun*  Zinzendorf 


OF    ASSURANCE    OF    FAITH.  67 

began  to  decline,  by  my  too  great  fondness  for  learning, 
especially  the  Oriental  tongues,  wherein  I  was  instructed 
by  a  private  preceptor,  who  likewise  did  all  that  in  him 
lay  to  instruct  me  in  true  divinity. 

"  At  seventeen,  I  went  to  the  University  of  Upsal, 
and  a  year  or  two  after  was  licensed  to  preach.  But  at 
twenty-two,  meeting  with  Arndt's  '  True  Christianity,'  I 
found  I  myself  was  not  a  Christian.  Immediately  I  left 
off  preaching,  and  betook  myself  wholly  to  philosophy. 
This  stifled  all  my  convictions  for  some  years;  but 
when  I  was  about  twenty-seven,  they  revived,  and  con- 
tinued the  year  after,  when  I  was  desired  to  be  domes- 
tic tutor  to  the  children  of  the  secretary  of  state.  I  now 
felt  I  was  '  carnal,  sold  under  sin,'  and  continually  strug- 
gled to  burst  the  bonds,  till  (being  about  thirty-one 
years  old)  I  was  unawares  entangled  in  much  worldly 
business.  This  cooled  me  in  my  pursuit  of  holiness ; 
yet  for  a  year  and  a  half  my  heart  was  never  at  peace. 
Being  then  in  a  bookseller's  shop,  I  saw  the  account  of 
the  church  at  Hernhuth.  I  did  not  think  there  could 
be  any  such  place,  and  asked  th-  bookseller  if  that  was 
a  real  account.  His  answer,  '  that  it  was  no  more  than 
the  plain  truth,'  threw  me  into  deep  thought,  and  fervent 
prayer  that  God  would  bring  me  to  that  place.  I  went 
to  the  secretary,  and  told  him  I  did  not  design  to  stay 
at  Upsal,  having  a  desire  to  travel.  He  said,  he  had  a 
desire  his  son  should  travel,  and  was  glad  of  an  oppor- 
tunity to  send  him  with  me.  I  was  grieved,  but  knew 
not  how  to  refuse  any  thing  to  my  patron  and  bene- 
factor. Accordingly,  we  left  Upsal  together,  and,  after 
a  year  spent  in  several  parts  of  Germany,  went  through 
Holland  into  France,  and  so  to  Paris,  where  we  spent 
another  year.  But  I  was  more  and  more  uneasy,  till  1 
could  be  disengaged  from  my  charge,  that  I  might  re- 
tire to  Hernhuth.  In  our  return  from  France,  my 
pupil's  elder  brother,  returning  from  Italy,  met  us  at 
Leipsic.  I  immediately  wrote  to  his  father,  and  having 
obtained  his  consent,  delivered  him  into  his  hands. 

"April   23,    1738,1  came  hither.     Here    I   was   in 


68  OF    ASSURANCE    OF    FAITH. 

another  world.  I  desired  nothing  but  to  be  cleansed 
inwardly  and  outwardly  from  sin,  by  the  tlood  of  Jesus 
Christ.  I  found  all  here  laying  the  same  foundation. 
Therefore,  though  I  did  not  think  with  them  in  all 
points  of  doctrine,  I  waived  these,  and  singly  pursued 
reconciliation  with  God  through  Christ. 

''  On  the  22d  of  May  last,  1  could  think  of  nothmg 
but,  'He  that  beli3veth  hath  everlasting  life.'  But  I 
was  afraid  of  deceiving  myself,  and  continually  prayed 
I  might  not  build  without  a  foundation.  Yet  I  had  a 
sweet,  settled  peace,  and  for  five  days  this  scripture  was 
always  in  my  thoughts.  On  the  28th,  those  words  of 
our  Lord  were  strongly  impressed  upon  me,  '  If  ye,  be- 
ing evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  to  your  children, 
how  much  more  shall  your  heavenly  Father  give  the 
Holy  Ghost  to  them  that  ask  him !  '  At  the  same  time, 
I  was  incessantly  carried  out  to  ask  that  he  would  give 
me  the  witness  of  his  Spirit.  On  the  29th,  I  had  what  I 
asked  of  him,  namely,  the  plerophoria,  or  full  assur- 
ance OF  FAITH,  which  is  repose  in  the  blood  of  Christ ; 
a  firm  confidence  in  God  and  persuasion  of  his  favor ; 
serene  peace  and  steadfast  tranquillity  of  mind,  with  a 
deliverance  from  every  fleshly  desire,  and  from  every 
outward  and  inward  sin.  In  a  word,  my  heart,  which 
before  was  tossed  like  a  troubled  sea,  was  still  and  quiet, 
and  in  a  sweet  calm." 

We  would  add  here,  that  the  United  Brethren,  or  Mo- 
ravians, in  the  early  periods  of  their  existence  as  a  sepa- 
rate denomination,  were  inclined  to  the  view,  that  there 
is  no  true  and  saving  faith  without  assurance  of  faith  ; 
and  that  justification  and  sanctification  are  either  the 
same  thing,  or  are  so  nearly  allied  that  there  is  no  true 
evidence  of  the  former  without  an  entire  experience  of 
the  latter.  According  to  the  testimony  of  Christian  Da 
vid,  of  whose  personal  experience  some  account  has  been 
given,  they  were  accustomed  to  inquire  of  those,  who 
proposed  themselves  for  full  membership  in  the  church, 
whether  they  were  assured,  beyond  all  doubt,  that  they 
were  the  children  of  God  ;  in  v/hat  manner  and  at  what 


OF    ASSURANCE    OF    FAITH.  69 

time  they  received  that  assaiance  ;  whether  they  were 
so  renewed  in  the  image  of  God,  that  all  sin,  or  "  the 
whole  body  of  sin,"  as  he  expresses  it,  was  destroyed  in 
them.  And  if  the  person  could  not  satisfactorily  answer 
questions  of  t'lis  kind,  and  to  this  effect,  he  asserts,  "  We 
judged  that  he  had  no  true  faith  ;  nor  would  we  per- 
mit any  to  receive  the  Lord's  supper  among  us,  till  he 
could."  On  further  inquiry  into  the  subject,  and  addi- 
tional experience  of  the  manner  of  God's  dealing  with 
his  people,  they  abandoned  this  view  as  in  some  impor- 
tant respects  incorrect,  and  adopted  the  doctrine  of  faith 
as  existing  in  different  degrees  ;  and  recognized  the  faith 
of  forgiveness,  in  connection  with  which  a  person  may 
be  pardoned  in  the  first  instance,  as  well  as  that  of  assur- 
ance, which  is  generally  later  in  one's  experience,  and 
results  in  purity  of  heart  and  inward  victory.  Assur- 
ance of  faith,  however,  contmued  to  be  a  leading  and 
most  important  doctrine  ;  and  every  one  was  expected 
to  strive  earnestly  for  its  attainment.  And  probably 
among  no  denomination  of  Christians,  in  proportion  to 
iheir  whole  number,  have  more  frequent  instances  of  this 
ennobling  and  triumphant  experience  been  found,  than 
among  the  United  Brethren. 

But  it  is  proper  to  say,  that  the  doctrine  and  the  per- 
sonal experience  of  assurance  of  faith  have  not  been  lim- 
ited to  the  Christian  denominations  which  so  far  have 
been  particularly  referred  to.  A  careful  inquiry  would 
abundantly  show,  that  this  important  doctrine,  which 
recognize^,  a  state  of  mind  existing  in  sweet  purity  and 
peace,  in  reverential  and  affectionate  communion  with 
God,  in  freedom  from  doubts  and  fears,  in  constant 
prayer,  in  victory  over  every  known  and  voluntary  trans- 
gression, in  the  baptism  and  in-dwelling  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  has  been  admitted,  defended,  and  preached  by 
Episcopalians  and  Presbyterians,  and  probably  by  a 
number  of  other  sects  of  Christians,  as  well  as  by  Con- 
gregational ists  and  Moravians.  And  many  among  the 
dead,  who  yet  speak  in  their  recorded  memorials,  and 
some,  we  trust,  junong  the  living,  can  bear  a  convincing 


70  OF    ASSURANCE    Off    TAITK. 

and  experimental  testimony  to  its  truth  and  precic^us- 
ness.  It  would  be  a  pleasing  task,  if  our  limits  would 
allow,  to  repeat  here,  in  the  case  of  individuals  both  dead 
and  living,  the  delightful  facts  which  warrant  and  con- 
firm this  declaration."  Saying  nothing,  hoAvever,  of 
many  other  instances,  which  readily  present  themselves 
to  my  recollection,  it  seems  to  me,  that  the  pious  Arch- 
bishop Leighton  was  a  man  that,  in  the  later  periods  of 
his  life  at  least,  enjoyed  assurance  of  faith  ;  and  on  the 
principle  which  he  himself  has  laid  down,  viz.,  that  love 
will  be  in  proportion  to  faith,  that  he  possessed  what 
may  very  properly  be  called  an  assured  or  perfected  state 
of  love.  His  American  biographer  speaks  of  him  in  the 
following  terms,  which,  decided  and  emphatic  as  they 
are,  will  probably  command  the  assent  of  candid  and 
serious  persons,  who  have  thoroughly  studied  the  arch- 
bishop's religious  character. 

After  remarking  that  his  piety  v/as  eminently  a  med- 
itative piety,  he  proceeds  to  say:  "Whether  in  the 
midst  of  this  world's  scenes,  or  in  perfect  retirement, 
Leighton's  thoughts  were  always  fixed  upon  the  world 
whither  he  was  tending.  Religious  meditation  seemed 
the  involuntary  habit  of  his  soul  ;  and  in  this  was  ex- 
emplified the  profound  truth  of  his  own  remark,  that 
'the  pure  love  of  God  maketh  the  spirit  pure  and  sim- 
ple, and  so  free,  that  without  any  pain  and  labor  it  can 
at  all  times  turn  and  recollect  itself  in  God.'  If  duty 
drew  him  from  seclusion,  it  was  to  watch  and  pray  lest 
he  should  enter  into  temptation  ;  and  amidst  the  most 
absorbing  earthly  business,  if  his  thoughtful  face  were 
of  a  clear  transparency,  and  you  could  have  looked 
through  the  casement  of  his  soul  far  into  the  depths  of 
its  retirement,  you  would  there  have  seen  the  high  pur- 
poses of  God  still  ripening  and  fulfilling,  and  the  process 
of  growing  holiness  advancing  as  certainly  and  uninter- 
ruptedly as  it  would  in  the  most  sacred  oratory  of  private 
devotion.  He  thought  that  in  this  world  the  Christian's 
white  robe  would  be  very  likely  to  be  entangled  and  de- 
filed, if  he  wore  it  too  flowingly. 


OF    ASSURANCE    OF    FAITH.  71 

'  He  would  not  soil  those  pure  ambrosial  weeds 
With  the  rank  vapors  of  this  sin-worn  mould.' 

'• '  Our  only  safest  way,'  said  he,  '  is  to  gird  up  cur  af- 
fections wholly.  When  we  come  to  the  place  of  our 
rest,  we  may  wear  our  long  white  robes  at  full  length 
without  disturbance  ;  for  no  unclean  thing  is  there  ;  yea, 
the  streets  of  that  New  Jerusalem  are  paved  with  gold.' 

"He  was  a  stranger  and  a  pilgrim  on  the  earth,  and  he 
felt  that  he  was  such.  He  had  no  more  motive  to  par- 
take in  the  toils  and  anxieties  of  this  life,  than  an  angel 
would  feel,  commissioned  on  some  errand  of  mercy  to 
the  dwelling-place  of  mortals,  who  stays  only  till  he  may 
perform  the  mandate  of  his  sovereign,  and  is  glad  to  re- 
turn from  the  atmosphere  of  earth  to  the  light  of  his 
F'ather's  countenance,  to  his  home  of  glory  in  the  skies. 
Though  present  in  the  body,  he  was  absent  in  the  spirit, 
with  his  Lord  and  Master.  Amidst  his  fellow-mortals 
in  all  the  concerns  of  this  life,  he  walked  and  acted  like 
a  man  in  a  dream  —  a  dream,  from  which  he  was  then 
only  to  awake,  when  he  passed  into  the  blissful  presence 
of  his  ascended  Savior.  /  shall  he  satisfied  when  I 
AWAKE  loith  thy  likeness.  And  though  into  all  the  busi- 
ness, which  duty  required  of  him,  he  entered  with  a  grave 
intensity  to  fulfil  the  apostle's  injunction,  yet  all  this 
while  his  soul  was  conversing  in  heaven,  for  he  looked 
with  the  eye  of  faith  on  the  things  unseen  and  eternal. 
In  the  emphatic  words  of  Paul,  he  was  dead,  and  his 
life  was  hid  with  Christ  in  God.  He  was  altogether 
Christ's  ;  His  image  was  always  before  him  ;  His  words 
always  invited  him  to  glory. 

'  1  hear  a  voice,  you  cannot  hear, 
Forbidding  me  to  stay  ; 
1  see  a  hand,  you  cannot  see, 
Which  beckons  me  away.'  "  * 

m  conclusion,  I  would  make  an  additional  remark, 
w^hich  seems  appropriate  to  a  full  view  of  the  subject. 
It  is  probably  true,  that  persons  enjoying  assurance  ot 

See  Cheever's  Ed.  of  the  Select  Works  of  Archbishop  Leighton 


72 


OF    ASSURANCE    OF    FAITH. 


faith,  in  those  denominations  of  Christians  where  thai 
phraseology  is  expressive  of  the  highest  form  of  Chris- 
tian experience,  have  often  exhibited  a  degree  of  hesi- 
tancy and  reUictance  in  recognizing  themselves  as  ''sanc- 
tified persons,"    as    "  holy  persons,"    as    "perfected    in 
love,"  as  "saints,"  and  the  like.    Nor  have  others,  who 
have  Deen  members  of  the  same  denominations,  been  in 
the  practice,  except  occasionally,  of  employing  such  ep- 
ithets and  expressions  in  relation  to  them.     Conscious  ot 
their  physical    and   intellectual  imperfections,  knowing 
their  liabilit}/  to  errors  of  judgment,  and  their  consequent 
liability  to  mistaken  and  relatively  wrong  feelings,  beset 
every  where,  and  sometimes  deeply  afflicted  by  heavy 
temptations,  and  feeling  that  they  needed  every  moment 
the  application  of  Christ's  blood,  it  is  not  altogether  sur- 
prising, especially  in  connection  with  some  accessory  in- 
fluences, that  there  should  have  been  some  hesitation, 
both  in  themselves  and  in  others,  in  making  a  personal 
application  of  the  epithets  and  expressions  in  question ; 
but  that  such  expressions,  however  commendable  a  due 
degree  of  modesty  and  reserve  always  is,  are  proper,  and 
that  they  ought,  in  justice,  on  their  appropriate  occasions, 
to  be  applied  to  such   persons,  I  cannot  doubt.     Persons 
who  are  in  the  assurance  of  faith,  are  not  merely    "pro- 
fessors of  religion,"  as  the  modern  expression  is  ;  but  are 
Christians  ;  and  that  too  in  the  highest  sense  of  the  term. 
They  have  laid  themselves  upon  the  altar  of  God  ;  they 
have  separated  themselves  from  every  known  iniquity  : 
they  can  say  without  hesitation  that  they  have  no  desire 
but  for  God's  glory  ;  they  are  continually  guided  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  ;  they  have  been  enabled  to  appropriate  the 
great  and  precious  promises  ;  in  their  moral  nature,  and 
in  their  affections,  they  bear   distinctly  the  image    of 
Christ ;  in  a  word,  they  have  devoted  their  whole  being  to 
Godj  and  nothing  is  so  dreadful  to  them  as  a  violation  of 
his  will,  even  in  the  smallest  thing.     With  such  disposi- 
tions and  purposes  of  heart,  I  cannot  see  why  they  may 
not  be  described,  in  the  form  of  expression  which  is  some- 
times employed,  as  "perfected  in  love  ;  "  and  why  thev 


OF    ASSURANCE    OF    FAITH.  73 

may  not  as  properly  be  called  "sanctified,"  "holy  ones," 
or  "saints,"  as  many  others,  to  whom  these  expressions 
nave  been  applied,  both  in  later  and  in  earlier  times. 
But  the  propriety  of  these  remarks  will  perhaps  more 
fully  appear  by  a  reference  to  the  doctrine  contained  in 
one  of  the  following  chapters,  where  the  precise  relation 
between  assurance  of  faith  and  perfection  of  love  is  par- 
icularly  pointed  out. 
7 


74 


CHAPTER  EIGHTH. 


RELATION  OF  CONSECRATION  TO  ASSURANCE  OF 
FAITH. 

Ii-  can  hardly  be  necessary  to  say  any  thing,  in  addi 
tion  to  what  has  already  been  said,  in  illustration  of  the 
great  importance  of  that  state  of  mind  which  is  denom- 
inated ASSURANCE  OF  FAITH.  Hc  who  truly  dcsircs  the 
blessed  experience  of  holiness  of  heart  will  necessarily 
attach  a  high  value  to  the  possession  of  assurance  ;  be- 
cause holiness,  in  the  gospel  or  evangelical  sense  of  the 
term,  is  obviously  identical  with  perfection  of  love.  And 
perfection  of  love,  as  we  shall  have  occasion  to  notice 
more  particularly  in  a  subsequent  chapter,  is  the  natural 
result  of  perfection  or  assurance  of  faith. 

In  respect  to  the  nature  of  assurance  of  faith,  we  may 
remark  here,  after  an  examination  of  various  statements 
and  illustrations  on  the  subject,  that  it  appears  to  consist 
essentially  in  two  things;  first,  in  a  general  but  un- 
wavering confidence  in  God's  character,  administration, 
and  promises ;  and,  secondly,  in  a  confident  belief  of 
our  personal  acceptance  with  God  through  Christ.  And 
Jiccordingly,  it  is  not  limited  to  the  second  particular,  as 
ffome  persons  may  be  inclined  to  suppose  ;  but  the  sec- 
ond element,  viz.,  that  of  a  particular  or  personal  accept- 
ance, which  probably,  in  the  popular  view  of  it,  is  the 
strikiug  or  characteristic  trait,  has  its  basis  in  a  prevail- 
ing  or  assured  faith  of  a  more  general  character. 

With  these  remarks  we  proceed  to  enter  on  the  prin- 
cipal topic  of  the  present  chapter,  viz.,  the  relation  ex- 
isting between  co?isecration  atid  assurance.  We  have 
already  had  occasion,  particularly  in  the  third  chapter,  to 
refer  to  the  relation   existing  between  consecration  and 


KELATION    OB     CONSECi  ATION.  75 

faith  in  general.  Faith,  (especially  that  faith  which  is 
appropriating  and  purifying,)  and  the  commission  of 
known  sin,  cannot  go  together.  They  are  mutually  an- 
tagonistical,  and  destructive  of  each  other.  Just  so  far 
as  consecration,  which  implies  a  fixed  determination, 
with  divine  assistance,  to  resist  sin  in  all  its  forms,  actu- 
ahy  exists,  and  no  farther,  is  the  way  open  for  the  prin- 
ciple of  fait  1,  especially  in  its  appropriating  character,  to 
enter  and  to  take  effect  in  the  soul.  The  Savior  him- 
self has  explicitly  taught  us,  (John  v.  44,)  that  those 
who,  in  the  spirit  of  self-seeking,  pursue  worldly  honor 
and  not  the  honor  which  cometh  from  God  only,  are 
unable,  in  the  religious  sense  of  the  expression,  to  be- 
lieve. 

(1.)     But   proceeding  from  the  more  general  view  of 
the  subject  to  the  particular  and  specific  one  now  under 
consideration,  we  remark,  in  the  first  place,  that  assur- 
ance of  faith,  like  all  other  forms  of  religious  faith  con- 
sidered in  distinction  from  natural  faith,  is  the  gift  of 
God.     No  one  has  it  without  the  divine  blessing.     Bi.it 
here,  as  in  every  other  case  of  God's  dealings,  we  see 
no  other  course  but  to  take  the  position  as  almost  a  self- 
evident  one,  that  there  are  reasons  in  the  Divine  Mind  for 
every  occurrence  or  fact,  and  also  for  every  modification 
of  the  divine  conduct ;  and  that  God,  in  imparting  the 
immense  blessing  of  assurance  of  faith,  does  not  and 
cannot  act  accidentally.     In  other  words,  there  is  some 
antecedent  fact,  some  preparatory  condition,  in  connec- 
tion with  which  this  great  blessing  takes  place.     Not  a 
meritorious  condition,  it    is  true  ;  nothing  which    lays 
God  under  obligation  ;  but  still  a  preparatory  antecedent 
or  condition  actually  existing  in  the  view  of  the  Divine 
Mind,  and  as  an  indispensable  part  of  the  divine  arrange- 
ment.    And  that  condition,  as  the  matter  presents  itself 
to  our  view,  is   consecration.     Not  a  consecration  in 
part,  but  in  whole  ;  a  solemn  and  a  permanent  giving  up 
of  the  whole  being  to  God.     If  with  any  inferior  degree 
of  consecration  there  may  be  an  inferior  degree  of  faith 
thnro  cannot  be  a  perfection  or  assurance  of  faith,  with-- 


76  RELATION    OF    CONSECRATION 

out  a  consecration  corresponding  to  it.  It  must,  there- 
fore, be  a  consecration,  such  as  was  described  in  the 
chapter  on  that  subject,  both  of  body  and  of  spirit,  both 
of  persons  and  of  possessions,  entire,  permanent,  and 

IRREVOCABLE. 

(2.)  We  proceed  to  mention,  secondly,  some  con 
siderations  in  support  of  this  view,  viz.,  that  entire  con- 
secration is,  and  must  be,  the  antecedent  condition  o( 
entire  or  full  assurance.  Assurance  of  faith,  as  the 
phrase  is  commonly  employed  by  writers,  and  as  we  have 
already  had  occasion  to  notice,  is  used  not  only  to  ex- 
press an  entire  and  perfect  confidence,  on  the  part  of 
those  who  possess  it,  in  the  character  and  administration 
of  God  ;  but  also  in  their  own  personal  acceptance  with 
God  through  Christ.  They  have  no  doubt,  on  the  one 
hand,  of  the  truth,  mercy,  and  justice  of  God  ;  nor  have 
they  any  doubts,  on  the  other,  that  they  are  the  beloved 
children  of  God;  and  that,  in  entire  consistency  with  his 
truth  and  justice,  they  are  fully  accepted  of  Him.  Such 
is  the  nature  of  their  assurance.  But  we  hazard  noth- 
ing in  saying,  that  it  is  impossible  for  a  man  to  believe, 
with  assurance  of  faith,  that  he  is  fully  accepted  of  God, 
^  which  is  one  of  the  leading  elements,  though  not  the 
only  one,  in  the  state  of  mind  denominated  assurance,) 
while  he  is  knowingly  sinning  against  Him ;  which,  ot 
course,  he  must  be  regarded  as  doing,  so  long  as  he  re 
mains  unwilling  to  consecrate  himself.  It  is  impossible 
among  other  things,  because  it  is  contrary  to  the  natural 
operations  of  the  human  mind  in  all  analogous  cases.  It 
is  just  as  impossible,  (repeating  here  an  illustration  of 
the  subject  which  has  been  already  employed,)  as  it  is 
for  us  to  believe  that  a  man  whom  we  are  injuring  and 
ill-treating  every  day,  and  whom  we  also  know  to  be 
acquainted  with  our  evil  conduct,  can  regard  us  as  a 
friend.  There  is  something,  in  such  a  case,  in  the  na- 
ture of  a  moral  contradiction.  The  two  things  cannot 
go  together. 

And   furthermore,  it  is  impossible,  because  such  a  be- 
lief, viz.,  that  God  does  fully  ard  cordially  accept  of  us. 


TO     ASSURANCE    OF    FAITH.  77 

while  vvc  arc  withholding  the  entire  consecration  of  our 
Dodies  and  our  spirits,  and  are  therefore  knowingly  sin  • 
ning  against  him,  evidently  implies  a  conviction,  on  the 
part  of  the  person  who  is  the  subject  of  the  belief,  that 
God  is  not  necessarily  displeased  and  offended  with  sin- 
a  view  of  things  alike  contrary  to  reason,  the  character  oi 
God,  and  the  Scriptures  ;  and  therefore  not  reasonably 
to  be  expected  in  any  one. 

We  are  constrained,  therefore,  to  draw  the  conclusion, 
(a  conclusion  so  obvious  in  itself  that  it  clearly  does  not 
require  much  array  of  argument,)  that  assured  confi- 
dence in  the  character  and  administration  of  God,  com- 
bined with  the  additional  element  of  assured  faith  in  our 
present  acceptance  with  Him,  cannot  exist  except  in 
connection  with  entire  consecration.  In  other  words, 
we  must  be  conscious  of  doing  all  that  we  can  do  in  the 
fulfilment  of  God's  holy  will ;  of  separating  ourselves 
^rom  every  voluntary  transgression  ;  of  discharging,  with 
divine  aid,  every  known  duty;  of  laying  all  our  powers, 
possessions,  and  gifts,  deliberately  upon  the  divine  altar, 
and  without  any  intention  of  ever  resuming  them. 
The  man  who  is  truly  set  apart  to  God  in  consecration 
strives  and  prays,  continually,  that  he  may  not,  in  the 
smallest  thing,  offend  his  heavenly  Father.  He  would 
infinitely  prefer  death  to  known  transgression,  even  the 
slightest  transgression. 

In  this  state  of  mind  it  is  easy  to  see  that  there  is  a 
natural  basis  for  the  exercise  of  faith,  particularly  the 
faith  of  personal  acceptance,  in  the  highest  degree.  In 
such  a  state  of  things,  when  the  obstacles  which  pre- 
viously existed  are  removed,  the  soul  naturally  turns  to 
God;  naturally  relies  upon  Him.  It  becomes  easy  to 
believe,  when  before  it  was  found  very  difficult.  The 
Holy  Spirit  enters  and  operates,  without  obstruction,  in 
a  mind  which  is  in  this  position.  The  promises  are  read- 
ily received.  Such  a  soul  feels  that  it  would  be  sin  to 
doubt ;  and  thus,  with  the  divine  blessing,  it  rises  supe- 
rior to  every  degree  of  hesitation,  and  enters  into  the  rest 
of  assurance. 


78  RELATION    OF    CONSECRATION 

(3.)  Perhaps  it  should  be  added  further,  in  order  to 
meet  an  inquiry  naturally  arising  in  the  minds  of  some, 
that  faith  in  the  highest  degree,  or  assurance  of  faith,  al- 
though we  have  reason  to  think  it  never  fails  to  follow 
the  act  of  consecration  sooner  or  later,  in  the  case  of 
minds  not  unfavorably  affected  by  some  physical  or 
mental  disorder,  does  not  always  immediately  follow  such 
consecrating  act.  There  are  various  incidental  causes, 
which  sometimes  operate  to  check  and  diminish  the  ex- 
ijrcise  of  assurance  of  faith  for  a  time,  notwithstanding 
the  dedicating  or  consecrating  act  ;  such  as  a  general 
ignorance  on  the  subject  of  faith,  and  particularly  pre- 
vious habits  of  unbelief,  the  unfavorable  influence  of 
which  does  not  always  cease  at  once.  And  it  is  not  ir- 
rational to  suppose,  that  there  may  also  be  reasons  exist- 
ing in  the  mind  of  God,  but  unknown  to  us,  why  he 
should  see  fit  to  delay  temporarily  the  bestowment  of 
this  great  gift,  especially  in  that  particular  which  relates 
to  our  personal  acceptance  and  safety.  Accordingly,  it 
is  said  in  Hebrews  x.  36,  37,  "Ye  have  need  of  'pa- 
tience^ that,  after  ye  have  done  the  will  of  God,  ye  might 
receive  the  promise ;  for  yet  a  little  while,  and  he  thai 
shall  come  will  come,  and  will  not  tarry ^  But  God 
does  not  delay,  even  for  the  "  yet  a  little  while,"  arbi- 
trarily and  without  reason,  although  we  may  be  ignorant 
what  that  reason  is.  I  believe  it  is  a  common  and  cor- 
rect opinion,  that  the  delay  exists  only  so  long  as  God 
sees  best  for  the  person  himself.  In  other  words,  he  de- 
lays in  order  to  wean  him  more  effectually  from  all  reli- 
ance upon  any  thing  but  simple,  childlike  trust  in  the 
Divine  Word  ;  and  thus  to  prepare  him  for  the  reception 
of  the  blessing  under  the  most  favorable  circumstances. 
There  is  perhaps  some  hidden  tendency,  which  is 
scarcely  known  to  the  individual  himself,  such  as  a  dis- 
position to  look  for  some  specific  sign  or  manifestation, 
or  something  of  that  nature,  which  remains  to  be  smitten 
and  crucified  ;  and  which,  there  is  no  doubt,  will  be 
crucified  and  taken  out  of  the  way,  as  soon  as  the  person 
himself  learns,  in  connection  with  God's  continued  deal- 


10    ASSURANCE     OF    FAITH.  79 

ings  with  him,  where  and  what  it  is.  But  I  do  not  sup- 
pose  that  God  will  thus  withhold  himself,  even  for  a 
moment,  from  one  who  is  fully  prepared  for  him  in  all 
respects;  and  who,  in  connection  with  the  fact  of  entire 
consecration,  is  truly  willing,  irrespective  of  joys  and 
sorrows,  of  human  aid  and  opposition,  of  the  light  of 
vision  and  of  the  terrors  of  darkness,  to  live  in  that  sim- 
ple and  mysterious  way  of  faith  alone.  — "Come  ye 
out  from  among  them,  and  be  ye  separate,  saith  the  Lord  ; 
and  TOUCH  not  the  unclean  thing  ;  and  I  will  receive 
you,  and  will  be  a  Father  unto  you,  and  ye  shall  be  my 
sons  and  my  daughters,  saith  the  Lord  Almighty! " 

And  permit  me  here  to  inquire  of  the  individual,  who 
has  had  the  patience  and  kindness  to  accompany  the 
writer  thus  far,  whether  he  has  been  able  to  apply  the 
truths  and  principles  which  have  been  brought  to  his 
notice  ?  Do  you  believe  that  God  requires  you  to  bo 
holy  ;  that  he  has  made  provision  for  your  sanctification 
in  the  present  life  ;  and  that  there  is  any  reasonable  pros- 
pect, with  divine  assistance,  of  attaining  to  this  desirable 
state  ?  Have  you  felt,  with  the  sincerity  and  depth  of 
feeling  appropriate  to  the  case,  the  obligation  to  be  holy? 
Relying  upon  the  sanctifying  results  of  that  same  great 
expiation  on  the  cross,  which  is  the  foundation  of  your 
hope  of  pardon  for  past  sins,  have  you  deliberately  and 
decidedly  brought  all,  and  laid  all  upon  the  altar  of  God, 
as  a  sacrifice  offered  and  consecrated  to  him  ?  Have  you 
believed  in  God,  that  he  is  true  to  his  word,  which  de- 
clares him  to  have  an  open  arm  for  the  returning  sinner  ; 
and  that,  from  the  moment  of  your  laying  all  upon  his 
altar,  you  have  been,  and  are  now,  accepted  ?  Is  your 
faith  not  only  of  that  personal  or  appropriating  character, 
which  applies  God's  word  and  promise  to  yourself,  but 
is  it  a  strong  faith  ?  Is  it,  as  the  faith  t^f  every  Christian 
ought  to  be,  the  faith  of  assurance?  —  like  that  of  the 
individual,  who  has  already  been  referred  to,  who  sealed 
the  truth  of  his  hope  by  dying  in  the  fire  at  the  stake, 
"above  self  in  a  higher  self,  above  the  form  in  th. 
power,  above  the  letter  in  the  life  !  " 


80  RELATION    OF    CONSECRATION    TO    ASSURANCE    OF    FAI'i  H- 

Permit  me  to  say,  my  brother,  in  the  spirit  of  sincere 
humility  and  kindness,  that  the  way  in  wliich  you  are 
called  to  walk  is  what  it  is  represented  to  be,  in  the 
Scriptures,  "a  strait  and  a  narrow  one."  But  it  is  a 
way  which  must  lead  somewhere  ;  and  it  is  obvious, 
also,  that  it  must  be  a  way  which  differs  from  every 
other  way.  I  appeal  to  you  to  say,  under  the  guidance 
of  an  enlightened  Christian  conscience,  whether  it  is  not 
in  the  direction,  or  very  nearly  in  the  direction,  indica- 
ted by  these  questions  ?  Most  solemnly  and  deliberately 
do  we  affirm  our  conviction,  that,  in  order  to  know  God 
by  an  inward  communion  with  Him,  all  must  be  laid 
upon  the  divine  altar  with  a  renunciation  without  lim- 
its ;  and  that  he  who  brings  the  offering  must  believe, 
with  a  faith  unwavering,  that  God  accepts  it.  Is  it  in 
your  power,  relying  either  upon  Scripture  or  upon  reason, 
to  indicate  any  better  way  ?  If  not,  then  delay  no  long- 
er ;  cease  to  feed  on  husks,  that  you  may  eat  spiritual 
bread  ;  renounce  the  life  of  self,  that  you  may  possess 
the  life  of  universal  love ;  be  all  to  God,  that  He  may 
be  all  to  you. 


I  SAT  me  down  in  earth's  benighted  vale, 

And  had  no  courage  and  no  strength  to  rise ; 

Sad,  to  the  passing  breeze  1  told  my  tale, 

And  bowed  my  head  and  drained  my  weeping  eyes. 

But  Faith  came  by,  and  took  me  by  the  hand  ; 

And  now  the  valleys  rise,  the  mountains  fall : 
Welcome  the  stormy  sea,  the  dangerous  land  ! 

With  Faith  to  aid  me,  I  can  conquer  all. 


8] 


CHAPTER  NINTH. 


RELATION  OF  ASSURANCE  OF  FAITH  .aND  PERFECT 

LOVE. 

In  the  preceding  chapter,  we  have  endeavored  to  ex- 
/jlain  the  relation  of  Consecration  to  Assurance  of  Faith. 
But  assurance  also,  as  well  as  consecration,  has  its  rela- 
tionships. In  particular,  assurance  or  perfection  of  faith, 
and  perfection  of  love,  are  closely  and  inseparably  con- 
nected. And  it  becomes  an  interesting,  and  in  many 
respects  an  important  inquiry,  What  is  the  precise  rela- 
tion which  they  sustain  to  each  other  ? 

(I  )  Accordingly,  we  proceed  to  remark,  in  the  fiisi. 
place,  that  they  hold  the  relation  of  antecedence  and 
SEQUENCE.  Assurance  of  faith  naturally  and  necessarily 
precedes  assurance  or  perfection  of  love.  We  are  aware 
that  some  theologians,  and  theologians,  too,  not  wanting 
in  powers  of  thought,  have  exhibited  a  disposition  to  re 
verse  this  order,  and  to  place  love  first  in  time  ;  thus 
making  love  the  foundation  of  faith,  and  perfection  ol 
love  the  foundation  of  assurance  or  perfection  of  faith 
But  it  must  be  acknowledged,  it  is  difficult  to  see  how 
such  a  position  of  things  as  this  can  commend  itself 
cither  to  the  light  of  reason  or  to  the  plain  language 
and  statements  of  the  Scriptures.  How  is  it  possible, 
looking  at  the  subject  in  the  light  of  nature  merely,  il 
we  have  no  confidence  in  God,  no  faith  in  his  character, 
that  we  should  love  him  ?  What  are  the  principles  of 
natural  love  ?  Undoubtedly,  this  important  aff"ection  of 
the  human  heart  has  its  principles  or  laws  both  of  origin 
and  progress ;  and  it  becomes,  therefore,  a  proper  and 
mteresting  inquiry,  in  what  way  it  arises,  and  in  what 
way  it  supports  itself,  in  common  life.     And,  in  answer 


bJ  RELATION    OF    ASSURANCE    OF    FAITH 

to  this  inquiry,  an  obvious  remark  is,  that,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  its  purely  instinctive  action,  it  always  has  its 
foundation  in  confidence  or  faith  in  the  object  beloved. 
If  we  have  no  confidence  in  another's  character,  no  faith 
in  his  truth,  his  honor,  or  his  gratitude,  but,  instead  of 
believing  in  him  as  possessed  of  good  and  interesting 
traits,  are  obliged  to  regard  him  as  characterized  by  what 
is  mean,  false,  and  evil,  —  it  seems  to  be  impossible,  on 
natural  principles,  that  we  should  love  him.  It  is  true, 
we  may,  in  certain  respects,  be  interested  in  such  a  per- 
son;  we  may  exercise  towards  him  the  love  of  pity  or 
benevolence ;  but  we  cannot  exercise  that  form  of  love 
which  alone  is  appropriate  to  God,  viz.,  the  love  of  com- 
placency. Faith,  therefore,  must  precede  love.  And 
this,  which  is  the  law  of  natural  love,  is  also  the  law  of 
religious  love.  And  I  think  it  is  obvious,  from  what 
has  been  said,  that  we  may  go  farther,  and  say,  that 
faith  not  only  sustains  to  love  the  relation  of  antece- 
dence, but  sustains  also  the  relation  of  a  cause  ;  not  ol 
an  absolutely  efficient  cause,  which  would  exclude  vol- 
untariness of  action,  but  of  what  is  variously  called  a 
conditional,  occasional,  or  preparatory  cause.  So  that 
we  may  not  only  say  that,  in  point  of  fact,  and  in  the 
order  of  nature,  faith  goes  before  love  ;  but  may  prop- 
erly add  that,  without  the  antecedence  of  faith,  love 
cannot  exist. 

(2.)  As  connected  with  what  has  been  said,  we  ob 
serve  further,  that  it  is  a  law  of  the  affection  of  love,  not 
only  that  it  will  follow  faith,  but  that  it  will  be  in  pro- 
portion to  faith.  It  will  be  recollected,  that  we  are 
speaking  now  of  the  love  of  complacency.,  of  which  God 
and  all  holy  beings  are  the  appropriate  objects ;  and  not 
of  the  mere  love  of  pity  or  benevolence,  of  which  other 
beings,  and  those  of  a  very  different  character,  may  be 
the  objects.  We  repeat,  therefore,  that  love  not  only 
depends  on  faith,  in  some  measure  as  an  effect  depends 
on  a  cause,  but,  corresponding  also  in  amount  or  degree, 
Jt  will  be  in  proportion  to  faith.  If  faith  is  weak,  the 
corresponding  exercise  of   love  will  be  proportionally 


\ND  PERFECT  LOVE.  83 

weak  ;  if  faith  is  strong,  the  degree  of  love  will  be  pro- 
portionally strong ;  if  there  is  an  assurance  or  perfection 
of  faith,  there  will  be  an  assurance,  that  is,  an  assured 
state  or  perfection  of  love.  This  is  the  connection,  if 
we  have  a  right  view  of  it,  and  the  permanent  law  of 
ihe  two  states  of  mind. 

And  this  relationship,  and  this  permanent  law  of  the 
•tates  of  mind  under  consideration,  is  abundantly  recog- 
ized  in  theological  writers,  as  well  as  in  the  Scriptures, 
irchbisliop  Leighton,  after  remarking,  in  his  commen- 
ary  on  Peter,  that  there  is  an  inseparable  intermixture 
»f  love  with  belief,  and  that  they  are  mutually  strength- 
ned  the  one  by  the  other,  proceeds  to  observe   as  fol- 
ows  :   "  Many  directions,  as  to  the  means  of  begetting 
»nd  increasing  this  love  of  Christ,  may  be  here  offered  ; 
rid  they,  who  delight  in  number,  may  multiply  them  ; 
Dut-  surely  this  one  will  comprehend  the  greatest  and 
best  part,  if  not  all  of  them :   Believe,  and  you  shall 
LOVE  ;  believe  much,  and  you  shall  love  much.     La- 
bor for  strong  and    deep    persuasions    of  the    glorious 
things  which  are  spoken  of  in  Christ,  and  this  will  com- 
mand love." 

(3.)  We  remark  again,  that  these  two  states  of 
mind,  the  relation  of  which  to  each  other  has  thus  been 
briefly  indicated,  are  identical  in  their  results,  i?i  relation 
to  sin.  It  is  entirely  evident  that  perfect  love,  when 
actually  in  exercise,  is  inconsistent  with  the  commission 
of  any  known  transgression.  It  is  the  same  — as  must  be 
evident,  not  only  from  the  statements  of  those  who  have 
been  in  this  state  of  mind,  but  also  from  a  slight  reflec- 
tion on  the  subject  itself — with  assurance  of  faith. 

Assurance  of  faith,  considered  as  expressive  of  a  defi- 
nite religious  state  of  mind,  has  reference  both  to  God 
and  to  the  subject  of  it ;  to  God,  among  other  things,  as 
true  to  his  word  both  of  threatening  and  of  promise : 
and  to  the  subject  of  it,  as  being  fully  forgiven  and  ac- 
cepted in  God  through  Christ.  It  is  not  possible,  that  the 
man,  who  sins  voluntarily  and  knowingly  against  God. 
".an,  at  the  same  tiine  of  thus  sinning,  have  full  and  as- 


84  RELATION    OF    ASSURANCE    OF    FAITH 

sured  faith  in  either  of  these  respects.  Full  faith  in  God, 
as  true  to  his  promises  and  threatenings,  atouM,  either 
through  the  impression  of  strong  love  and  gratitude,  or 
of  terrible  fear,  extinguish  all  desire  and  purpose  of 
knowingly  doing  wrong.  And  full  faith  in  God,  as  fully- 
forgiving  and  receiving  us  to  his  favor,  is  obviously  and 
utterly  inconsistent  with  the  fact  of  knowingly  sinning 
against  him  at  the  same  time.  He,  therefore,  who  is  in 
the  enjoyment  of  assurance  of  faith,  although  he  may  be 
the  subject  of  various  involuntary  infirmities  and  errors, 
which  result  from  our  fallen  condition,  and  which  re- 
quire confession  and  atonement,  will  never  voluntarily 
and  knowingly  do  any  thing  against  the  will  of  his 
heavenly  Father.  And  these  views,  it  is  hardly  neces- 
sary to  add,  are  entirely  in  accordance  with  those  pas- 
sages of  Scripture  which  not  only  speak  of  faith  as 
peculiarly  acceptable  to  God,  but  as  working  by  love, 
and  as  purifying  the  heart. 

Dr.  Increase  Mather,  who  held  an  eminent  rank  for 
learning  and  piety  among  the  early  Congregational  min- 
isters of  New  England,  has  the  following  expressions  in 
a  sermon  on  assurance,  which  agree  with  what  has  now 
been  said  :  "They  that  pretend  to  assurance  of  the  love 
of  Christ,  and  yet  have  no  care  to  observe  some  of  his 
holy  commandments,  do  but  deceive  their  own  souls, 
and  the  Lord  will  reject  their  confidences.  Where 
there  is  an  eminent  assurance,  if  built  on  Scripture 
promises,  there  is  eminent  holiness." 

Mr.  Ebenezer  Erskine,  a  pious  minister  of  the  Scotch 
Presbyterian  church,  of  the  last  century,  has  the  fol- 
lowing statements,  in  his  Discourse  on  Assurance  of  Faith, 
which  obviously  involve  the  idea  of  the  incompatibleness 
of  faith  and  the  commission  of  known  sin  :  "  It  is  im- 
possible for  a  person,  living  in  the  love  and  practice  of 
sin,  to  draw  near  to  God  with  the  confidence  of  faith  ; 
for,  in  the  very  act  of  drawing  near,  the  heart  is  purified 
hy  faith  in  the  blood  of  Jesus  ;  or,  as  it  is  expressed  in 
the  latter  clause  of  the  text,  [referring  to  Heb.  x.  22,] 
he  hath  his  heart  sprinkled  from  an  evil  conscience,  arid 


AND    PERFECT    LOVE.  85 

his  body  washed  with  pure  wafer.  In  believing,  we 
cease  to  do  evil,  and  learn  to  do  well.  Faith,  appre- 
hending the  mercy  of  God  in  Christ,  turns  the  soul  from 
sin  unto  God ;  so  that  it  is  as  impossible  for  a  person  to 
draw  near  to  God,  with  the  confidence  of  faith,  while  he 
lives  in  the  love  and  practice  of  sin,  as  it  is  for  a  person 
to  come  to  you,  and  go  from  you,  at  the  same  instant 
of  time.  While  the  heart  is  in  league  with  sin,  it  is 
departing  from  the  Lord.  How,  then,  in  this  case,  [that 
is  to  say,  when  the  heart  is  in  league  with  sin,]  can 
the  sinner  draw  near  to  God  ?  Far  less  can  he  draw 
near  with  assurance  of  acceptance." 

I  might  refer  here  to  the  statements  of  the  Rev.  Andrew 
Gray,  also,  many  years  since,  an  acceptable  minister  of 
the  Scotch  church.  In  one  of  his  published  sermons 
having  relation  to  the  subject  under  consideration,  he 
gives  a  number  of  evidences  or  marks  of  assurance  ;  one 
of  which  has  reference  to  the  connection  existing  be- 
tween assurance  of  faith  and  the  sanctification  of  thu 
heart,  or  holiness.  He  maintains,  by  argument  and  by 
reference  to  the  Scriptures,  that  purity  of  heart,  or  holi- 
ness, is  the  natural  result  of  assurance  of  faith  ;  that  those 
who  possess  such  assurance  are  a  people  especially  set 
ipart,  are  "  bought  with  a  price,"  and  are  no  longer  at 
^heir  own  disposal ;  and  that  persons  who  profess  to  have 
ussurance  of  faith,  but  without  a  corresponding  holiness 
of  heart  and  life,  are  under  a  great  delusion. 

In  view  of  what  has  been  said,  as  our  limits  do  not 
admit  of  a  more  minute  investigation  of  the  subject,  we 
come  to  the  conclusion,  that  the  doctrine  of  assurance 
of  faith,  and  the  doctrine  of  perfect  love,  although  in 
reality  distinct,  may  yet  safely  and  properly  be  regarded 
as  but  different  views  of  one  great  phasis  of  experi- 
mental Christianity,  viz.,  that  in  which  the  soul  is  with- 
out present  condemnation,  and  is  in  the  experience  of 
free,  accepted,  and  full  communion  with  God.  Or  per- 
haps we  may  express  the  same  thing,  and  rather  moie 
definitely,  by  saying,  although  they  are  distinct,  they 
are  so  closely  connected,  that  the  one,  wlierever  t 
8 


86  RELATION    OF    ASSURANCE    OF    FAITH 

exists,  necessarily"  involves  the  other ;  and  that  either  or 
them  involves  the  idea  of  evangelical  holiness.  If  there 
is  assurance  of  faith,  it  is  necessarily  followed  by  per- 
fection of  love  ;  and  the  existence  of  perfect  love —  a  state 
of  mind  which  is  otherwise  expressed  by  the  terms  and 
phrases,  sanctification,  Christian  perfection,  and  evan- 
gelical holiness  —  necessarily  implies  the  antecedent 
existence  of  assurance  of  faith. 

But  it  will  be  asked,  perhaps,  by  some,  whose  early 
habits  of  thought  and  association  will  naturally  prompt 
the  inquiry,  If  there  be  this  close  relation  between  as- 
surance of  faith  and  perfect  love,  so  that  they  may  be 
regarded  as,  in  effect,  identical  and  interchangeable,  why 
not  retain  and  employ  the  former  mode  of  expression,  to 
the  exclusion  of  any  other  ?  Undoubtedly,  particular 
denominations  of  Christians,  and  individuals,  also,  influ- 
enced by  peculiarities  in  theological  views,  by  early 
associations,  or  some  other  cause,  will,  on  some  oc- 
casions, give  a  preference  to  those  forms  of  expression 
which  most  readily  harmonize  with  such  peculiarities 
and  associations.  Nor  do  we  suppose  that  this  is  to  be 
regarded  as  ground  of  complaint.  Nevertheless,  there  is 
no  necessity  of  our  being  limited  to  one  mode  of  ex- 
pression;  and  in  the  present  case,  where  the  inward  ex- 
perience, although  always  essentially  the  same,  presents 
itself  in  different  aspects,  —  sometimes  as  perfect  faith, 
and  sometimes  as  perfect  love,  —  there  is  evidently  some 
advantage  in  not  being  so.  Those  who  know,  by  per- 
sonal experience,  what  this  state  of  mind  is,  will  appre- 
ciate this  remark,  among  other  things,  because  a  famil- 
iarity with  different  forms  of  expression  aids  very  much, 
on  many  occasions,  in  0]Vening  the  way  to  a  free  and 
united  communion  with  those  who  are  in  the  same  state 
of  mind  in  other  Christian  denominations.  They  feel 
the  need  of  this  communion  ;  they  cannot  do  otherwise 
than  seek  it  and  find  it ;  and  on  both  sides  it  is  a  great 
satisfaction  to  understand  the  blessed  import  of  the  ex- 
pressions which  they  reciprocally  use.  And  besides,  as 
language  is  the  natural  sign  or  expression  of  things,  i', 


AND    PEAFECT    LOVE.  S7 

seems  obvious  that  tliere  is  something  due,  on  the  part 
of  language  itself,  to  that  natural  and  eternal  relation- 
ship which  exists  in  the  case  under  consideration.  Faith  . 
and  love  are  twin  sisters,  born  together,  and  forever  in- 
separable ;  and  the  hearts  where  they  have  entered  and 
taken  possession,  by  whatever  names  of  sect  they  may 
be  characterized,  are  as  closely  allied  and  as  dear  to 
each  other  as  the  divine  and  heavenly  graces  which 
animate  them.  He  who  has  assurance  of  faith  can 
never  disclaim  the  relationship  which  he  bears  to  him 
who  has  perfection  of  love  ;  and  language,  whose  office 
it  is  to  suit  the  word  to  the  thing  with  entire  impar- 
tiality, should  never  be  wanting  in  acknowledged  terms 
both  to  express  the  things  themselves,  and  also  to  recog- 
nize and  sanction  the  relationship  and  union  between 
thuai. 


"  Jesus,  I  my  cross  have  taken, 

All  to  leave  and  follow  thee  : 
Naked,  poor,  despised,  forsaken, 

Thou  from  hence  my  all  shalt  be 
Perish  every  fond  ambition, 

All  I've  sought,  or  hoped,  or  known , 
Yet  how  rich  is  my  condition 

Grod  and  heaven  are  still  my  own. 

'  Let  the  world  despise  and  leave  me ; 

They  have  left  my  Savior,  too  ; 
Human  hearts  and  looks  deceive  me  ; 

Thou  art  not,  like  them,  untrue. 
And  while  Thou  shalt  smile  upon  me, 

God  of  wisdom,  love,  and  might, 
Foes  may  hate,  and  friends  may  scorn  me 

Show  thy  face,  and  all  is  bright." 


88 


CHAPTER    TENTH. 

CONSIDERATIONS    ON    7HE    LIFE    OF    FAITH. 

'^The  just  shall  live  by  faith."  "The  life  which 
I  now  live  in  the  flesh  I  live  by  the  faith  of  the  Son  o. 
God."  These  passages,  and  others  like  them,  involve 
the  important  truth,  that  the  Christian  life  is  a  life  of 
faith,  in  distinction  from  a  life  of  open  vision. 

There  are  various  modifications  of  faith  ;  all  of  which 
are  important  in  their  appropriate  places ;  and  all  of 
which,  it  is  quite  probable,  have  a  connection  more  or 
less  intimate  with  the  life  of  faith.  But  the  form  Oi 
faith  which  is  especially  necessary,  in  order  to  live  the 
life  of  faith,  is  that  lohich  makes  God  present,  moment 
by  moment,  in  any  and  all  events  which  take  place. 
The  want  of  this  form  of  faith  is  one  great  source  of 
evil.  It  is  owing  to  a  defect  here,  in  a  great  part  at 
least,  that  many  persons,  who  believe  to  some  extent  in 
God,  and  in  Christ,  and  perhaps  in  their  own  final  ac- 
ceptance, nevertheless  make  but  little  progress  in  sanc- 
tification.  Adhesive  in  a  general  faith  which  looks  at 
things  in  masses,  and  rejecting  that  which  is  par- 
ticular, they  necessarily  place  God  at  a  great  dis- 
tance ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  that  faith  which  it^ 
specific  and  particular  brings  him  near,  makes  him  pres- 
ent and  intimate  in  all  our  concerns,  and  establishes 
between  him  and  our  own  souls  a  perpetual  and  happv 
relationship.  We  hope  we  shall  not  be  misunderstood. 
We  admit  that  other  modifications  of  faith  are  important 
in  their  place.  We  know  them  to  be  so.  But  we  can- 
not doubt  that  the  true  life  of  God  in  the  soul  must  be 
sustained  in  a  very  considerable  degree,  by  means  of 


LIFE    OF    FAITH.  89 

hat    specific  form   of   faith  which  recognizes  God  as 

PRESENT,  NOT  ONLY  IN  EVERY  MOMENT  OF  TIME,  BUT  AS 
PRESENT,  EITHER  PERMISSIVELY  OR  CAUSATIVELY,  IN 
EVERY    EVENT    THAT    TAKES    PLACE. 

(1.)  Proceeding  now  to  iUustrate  this  general  view 
in  some  particulars,  we  remark,  in  the  first  place,  that 
those  who  are  in  the  exercise  of  that  form  of  faith 
which  makes  God  present  in  every  thing,  will  perceive 
and  recognize  the  hand  of  God  in  every  thing  which  re- 
lates to  ihetnselves,  viz.,  in  the  preservation  of  their  lives 
and  health,  in  their  affairs  of  business,  in  their  sufferings 
and  joys,  in  the  strength  or  weakness  of  their  intellect- 
ual powers,  in  their  opportunities  of  acquiring  knowl- 
edge, in  their  opportunities  of  discharging  duty,  in  their 
inward  and  outward  temptations,  in  every  thing,  whether 
it  relates  to  mind,  body,  or  estate,  or  whether  it  relates 
to  suffering  or  to  action,  which  in  any  way  concerns 
themselves,  or  which  in  any  way  concerns  those  with 
whom  they  are  closely  connected  by  family  ties. 

(2.)  We  remark,  in  the  second  place,  that  if  we  are 
in  the  exercise  of  that  kind  of  faith  which  makes  God 
present  in  all  things,  we  shall  be  enabled  to  see  dis- 
tinctly his  presence  and  his  operative  hand  in  the  move- 
ments and  acts  of  those  who  entertain  hostile  disposi- 
tions towards  us,  and  who  may  properly  be  denominated 
our  enemies.  Notwithstanding  the  suffering  to  which 
the  cruel  and  unjust  course  of  our  enemies  often  exposes 
us,  we  shall  find  no  difficulty,  if  we  are  in  the  exercise 
of  this  form  of  specific  faith,  in  recognizing  and  be- 
lieving the  presence  of  God  in  that,  as  in  other  things. 
The  mind  is  in  th^at  delightful  position  which  enables 
It  to  think  much  more  of  God  than  of  the  instrument 
which  he  employs.  Looking  up  to  the  great  Author,  it 
accepts  from  his  hand,  with  acquiescence  and  thankful- 
ness, the  cup  of  bitterness ;  while  it  has  mingled  emo- 
tions of  disapproval  and  pity  (compassion  being  the 
predominant  feeling)  for  the  subordinate  agent.  But  it 
is  the  distinct  and  unwavering  perception  that  God  is 
present,  and  that  it  is  God  who  offers  it  to  our  lips. 
8  * 


90  CONSIDERATIONS    ON    THK 

which  most  of  all  changes  and  sweetens  the  draught. 
[t  is  inexpressibly  delightful,  in  all  the  trials  that  come 
upon  lis,  from  within  and  without,  to  realize,  without 
any  misgivings  of  spirit,  that  the  rod,  whatever  ma^''  be 
the  subordinate  agency,  is  in  the  hands  of  our  heavenly 
Father. 

(3.)  Proceeding  to  a  farther  application  of  these 
views,  we  remark  again,  it  is  obvious,  from  the  Scriptures, 
that  we  are  required  to  be  "  diligent  in  business ;  '' 
"  whatever  our  hand  findeth  to  do,  to  do  it  with  oui 
might;"  "to  provide  for  our  own  households;"  and 
undoubtedly  every  person  must,  on  Christian  principles, 
regularly  and  conscientiously  accomplish  the  appropriate 
work  of  his  hands,  whatever  it  may  be. 

But  here  also,  as  in  every  thing  else,  we  must  recognize 
the  presence  and  agency  of  God.  We  must  do  what- 
ever God  requires  us  to  do,  and  must  recognize  him 
alike  in  the  fulfilment  and  the  disappointment  of  our 
efforts.  We  must  not  think  too  much  of  the  inferior 
instrumentality  of  the  rain  and  the  sunshine,  of  the 
turning  of  the  furrow,  and  of  the  planting  of  the  seed, 
although  these  are  important  in  their  place  ;  but  placing 
these,  and  all  other  secondary  acts  and  causes,  compara- 
tively under  our  feet,  must  endeavor  to  gain  a  higher 
position,  and  to  stand  in  nearer  proximity  to  the  Primi- 
tive Agency.  "  He  that  observeth  the  wind  shall  not 
sow ;  and  he  that  regardeth  the  clouds  shall  not  reap  " 
God  works  in  connection  with  second  causes,  but  not  in 
dependence  on  them.  They  are  his  servants,  and  not 
his  masters ;  a  sort  of  dumb  expositors  of  his  purposes 
and  will,  but  in  no  sense,  though  blind  man  seldom  looks 
above  them,  the  originating  and  effective  cause.  "In 
the  morning  sow  thy  seed,  and  in  the  evening  withhold 
not  thy  hand;  for  thou  knowest  not  whether  shall  pros- 
per, either  this  or  that,  or  whether  they  both  shall  be 
alike  good."*  Blessed  is  the  man  who,  as  he  goes 
about  his  daily  business,  tending  his  flocks  with  Abra- 

*  Ecclesiastes  xi.  4,  6. 


LIFE    OF    FAITH.  91 

ham,  or  ploughing  his  fields  with  Elisha,  can  see  God 
in  trees,  and  flowers,  and  running  brooks,  in  hills,  and 
valleys,  and  mountains,  in  clouds  and  in  sunshine  ;  and 
can  connect  him,  as  an  intelligible  and  effective  agency, 
with  every  thing  that  has  relation  to  the  time  and  the 
place,  the  nature  and  the  results,  of  his  labors. 

(4.)  It  is  important,  also,  in  the  experience  of  a  holy 
life,  to  extend  the  principle  of  the  recognition  of  God's 
presence  and  agency  to  all  public  and  national  events, 
as  well  as  to  those  of  a  more  private  nature.  In  repub- 
lican governments,  and  in  all  governments  of  a  constitu- 
tional character,  there  are  almost  constantly  before  the 
public  questions  of  great  interest,  which,  when  viewed 
out  of  their  relation  to  the  Divine  Mind,  are  calculated 
to  excite  in  the  Christian,  as  well  as  in  others,  a  degree 
of  anxiety.  When  he  beholds  conflicting  parties  and 
nations,  when  he  witnesses  the  wild  political  commo- 
tion and  uproar  which  have  characterized  almost  every 
age  of  the  world,  the  heart  of  the  good  man  would  faint 
within  him,  if  he  did  not  know  and  feel  that  the  hand 
of  the  Lord  is  in  it.  And  yet  the  faith  even  of  Chris- 
tians, when  exercised  in  relation  to  public  events,  is 
exceedingly  weak  ;  so  much  so  as  hardly,  in  the  com- 
parative sense,  to  have  an  existence.  It  is  very  diflerent 
in  this  matter  from  what  it  should  be.  Nothing  but  a 
strange  and  blind  unbelief  could  thus  exile  God  from  a 
participation  in  national  movements.  There  has  no  po- 
litical event  ever  taken  place  —  there  has  been  no  fall  or 
rise  of  empires,  no  building  up  or  overthrow  of  parties, 
no  aggressions  of  war  or  pacifications  of  peace  —  without 
the  presence  of  the  hand  of  the  Lord,  either  for  good  or 
for  evil,  for  punishment  or  reward.  Such  is  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Scriptures,  as  well  as  of  reason.  Their  lan- 
guage is,  "  The  kingdom  is  the  Lord's  ;  and  he  is  the 
governor  among  the  nations."  Ps.  xxii.  28.  "By  me 
kings  reign,  and  princes  decree  justice."  Prov.  viii. 
15.  God  says  of  Cyrus,  the  Persian  king  and  conqueror, 
"  He  is  my  shepherd,  and  shall  perform  all  my  pleasure  ; 
fiven  saying  to  Jerusalem,  Thou  shalt  be  built,  and  tc 


92  CONSIBERATIONS    ON    THE 

the  temple,  Thy  foundation  shall  be  laid."  Isa.  xliv 
28.  And  he  adds,  in  the  next  chapter,  a  remarkable 
passage,  which  shows  that  kings  and  rulers,  who  have 
no  realizing  sense  of  the  divine  superintendence  and 
presence,  may  yet  be  the  instruments  in  his  hands  for 
the  accomplishment  of  his  purposes.  "  For  Jacob,  my 
servant's  sake,  and  Israel,  mine  elect,  I  have  even  called 
thee  by  thy  name  ;  /  have  surnamed  thee^  though  thou 
hast  not  known  tne.^'' 

O  that  we  might  learn  the  great  lesson  (the  lesson 
absolutely  indispensable  to  him  who  would  experience 
the  highest  results  of  the  inward  life)  of  beholding  God, 
either  in  his  direct  efficiency,  or  his  permissive  and  con- 
trolling guardianship,  as  present  in  all  things,  whether 
high  or  low,  of  whatever  name  or  nature.  Without 
taking  this  view  of  his  presence,  we  deprive  ourselves 
of  that  great  centre  where  the  soul  finds  rest.  We  are 
tossed  and  agitated  by  passing  events.  Every  thing  is 
perplexed,  mysterious,  and  hopeless. 

In  conclusion,  we  would  remark,  that  a  life  of  faith  is 
necessarily  a  life  of  prayer.  It  must  be  obvious  that 
the  faith,  which  makes  God  present  at  all  times  and  in 
all  events,  and  yet  without  inspiring  a  sentiment  of 
communion  and  sympathy  with  the  Divine  Mind,  would 
be  of  no  avail.  When,  therefore,  we  speak  of  believ- 
ingly  recognizing  the  presence  of  God  in  all  things,  we 
3o  not  mean  a  recognition  in  which  there  shall  be  no 
feeling,  no  sentiments  of  filial  dependence,  no  gratitude 
and  love.  Far  from  it.  God  is  made  present,  by  faith, 
in  order  to  be  loved  and  communed  with.  The  spirit  of 
true  communion  with  God  —  which  is  only  another  name 
for  the  spirit  of  prayer  —  naturally  flows  out,  as  it 
seems  to  us,  of  the  spirit  of  constant  and  specific  faith, 
and  naturally  and  necessarily  forms  an  important  part  of 
the  life  of  faith.  True  prayer  always  has  relation  to 
the  existing  state  or  tendency  of  the  soul  ;  or  rather  it 
is,  for  the  time  being,  the  very  state  of  the  soul  itself, 
and  nothing  else.  And  the  existing  state  of  the  soul,  it 
is  hardly  necessary  to  say,  always  and  necessarily  has  a 


LIFE    OF    FAITH.  93 

tuimection,  more  or  less  intimate,  with  the  existing  de- 
velopment of  things.  Connecting,  therefore,  the  exist- 
ing state  of  the  soul  with  the  existing  state  of  things 
aronndit,  and  the  development  of  things  with  the  pres- 
ence and  agency  of  God,  we  are  at  once  brought  into 
correspondence  and  communion  with  God,  in  relation  to 
the  things  in  which  we  are  now  most  especially  inter- 
ested, and  concerning  which  God  is  most  pleased  to 
know  our  fihal  trust,  and  to  hear  our  humble  supplica- 
tions. Accordingly  it  is,  in  our  apprehension,  a  true 
doctrine,  that  every  returning  day  brings  with  it  its 
special  burden  of  prayer ;  in  other  words,  something 
which  it  is  especially  proper  for  us  to  introduce  to  the 
notice  of  our  heavenly  Father,  for  his  direction  and 
blessing.  And  this  is  true,  not  only  of  every  day,  but 
of  every  hour,  and  every  moment ;  and  thus  it  is  that 
those  who  live  the  life  of  faith  may  not  only  be  said  to 
recognize  God  in  every  thing,  and  to  be  in  communica- 
tion with  him  in  every  thing,  but  to  look  for  guidance 
and  the  divine  blessing  in  every  thing,  and  •'  to  prav 

WITHOUT  CEASING." 


[The  following  extract  from  a  letter  on  Experience  is  copied  from 
a  tract  published  in  Boston  in  1810,  and  entitled  "  The  Life  of  Faith : 
a  Letter  found  in  the  Study  of  the  late  Rev.  Mr.  Belcher,  of  New  Eng- 
land, (probably  Rev.  Samuel  Belcher,  of  Newbury,  Mass.)  Being  an 
answer   to    the    question,    How   to    live  in  this  world,  so  as  to 

LIVE    IN    HEAVEN."] 

"  I  will  tell  you  familiarly  what  God  hath  done  foi 
my  soul,  and  in  what  train  my  soul  keeps  towards  him- 
self. I  am  come  to  a  conclusion  to  look  after  no  great 
matters  in  the  world,  but  to  know  Christ  and  him  cru- 
cified. I  make  best  way  in  a  low  gale.  A  high  spirit 
and  a  high  sail  together  will  be  dangerous,  and  therefore 
I  prepare  to  live  low.  I  desire  not  much,  and  pray 
against  it.  My  study  is  my  calling  ;  so  much  as  tends 
that  way  (without  distraction)  lam  bound  to  plead  for 


94 


CONSIDERATIONS     ON    THE 


and  more  I  desire  not.  By  my  secluded  retirements,  1 
have  the  advantage  to  observe  how  every  day's  occasions 
insensibly  wear  off  the  heart  from  God,  and  bury  it  in 
self,  which  they  who  live  in  care  and  cumbers  cannot  be 
sensible  of.  I  have  seemed  to  see  a  need  of  every  thing 
God  gives  me,  and  want  nothing  that  he  denies  me. 
There  is  no  dispensation,  though  afflictive,  but  either 
in  it,  or  after  it,  I  find  that  I  could  not  be  without  it. 
Whether  it  be  taken  from,  or  not  given  to  me,  sooner  or 
later  God  quiets  me  in  himself  without  it.  I  cast  all 
my  concerns  on  the  Lord,  and  live  securely  on  the  care 
and  wisdom  of  my  heavenly  Father.  My  ways,  you 
know,  are,  in  a  sense,  hedged  up  with  thorns,  and  grow 
darker  and  darker  daily  ;  but  yet,  I  distrust  not  my  good 
God  in  the  least,  and  live  more  quietly,  in  the  absence 
of  all,  by  faith,  than  I  should  do,  I  am  persuaded,  if  1 
possessed  them.  I  think  the  Lord  deals  kindly  with 
me,  to  make  me  believe  for  my  mercies  before  I  have 
them  ;  they  will  then  be  Isaacs,  sons  of  laughter.  The 
less  reason  hath  to  work  on,  [that  is,  the  more  entirely 
reason  is  perplexed,  and  is  at  a  loss  what  measures  to 
adopt,]  the  more  freely  faith  casts  itself  on  the  faithful- 
ness of  God.  I  find  that,  while  faith  is  steady,  nothing 
can  disquiet  me  ;  and  when  faith  totters,  nothing  can 
establish  me.  If  I  tumble  out  amongst  means  and 
creatures,  I  am  presently  lost,  and  can  come  to  no  end ; 
but  if  I  stay  myself  on  God,  and  leave  him  to  work  in 
his  own  way  and  time,  I  am  at  rest,  and  can  sit  down 
and  sleep  in  a  promise,  when  a  thousand  rise  up  against 
me.  Therefore,  my  way  is  not  to  cast  beforehand,  but 
to  walk  with  God  by  the  day.  Sufficient  unto  the  day 
.s  the  evil  thereof.  I  find  so  much  to  do  continually 
with  my  calling  and  my  heart,  that  I  have  no  time  to 
f)iizzle  myself  with  perad ventures  and  futurities.  As 
for  the  state  of  the  times,  it  is  very  gloomy  and  tem- 
pestuous. But  why  do  the  heathen  rage  ?  Faith  lies 
at  anchor  in  the  midst  of  the  waves,  and  believes  the 
accomp  ishment  of  the  promise,  through  all  these  over- 
turning confusions  and  seeming  impossibilities. 


LIFE    OF    FAITH.  96 

"  Upon  this  God  do  I  live,  who  is  our  God  forever, 
and  will  guide  us  un*  )  death.  Methinks  I  lie  becalmed 
in  his  besom,  as  Luther  in  such  a  case,  [viz.,  when  beset 
with  troubles.]  I  am  not  much  concerned  ;  let  Christ 
see  to  it.  I  know  prophecies  are  now  dark,  and  the 
books  are  sealed,  and  men  have  all  been  deceived,  and 
every  cistern  fails  ;  yet  God  doth  continue  faithful,  and 
faithful  is  he  that  hath  promised,  who  will  do  it,  I 
believe  these  dark  times  are  the  womb  of  a  bright 
morning. 

'-'  Many  things  more  I  might  add  ;  but  enough.  O 
brother !  keep  close  to  God,  and  then,  a  little  of  the 
:;reature  will  go  a  great  way  !  Maintain  secret  commu- 
nion with  God,  and  you  need  fear  nothing.  Take  time 
for  duties  in  private  ;  crowd  not  religion  in  a  corner  ot 
the  day.  There  is  a  Dutch  proverb,  '  Nothing  is  got 
by  thieving,  nor  lost  by  praying.'  Lay  up  all  your 
good  in  God,  so  as  to  be  able  to  overbalance  the  sweet- 
ness and  bitterness  of  all  creatures.  Spend  no  time 
anxiously  in  forehand  contrivances  for  this  world. 
They  never  succeed.  God  will  turn  his  dispensations 
another  way.  Self-contrivances  are  the  effects  of  unbe- 
lief. I  can  speak  by  experience.  Would  men  spend 
those  hours  they  run  out  in  plots  and  contrivances,  in 
communion  with  God,  and  leave  all  to  him,  hi/  believ- 
ing, they  would  have  more  peace  and  comfort.  I  leave 
you  with  your  God  and  mine.  The  Lord  Jesus  be  with 
your  spirit." 


"  God  of  my  life,  whose  gracious  power 
Through  varied  deaths  my  soul  hath  ieri. 

Or  turned  aside  the  fatal  hour, 
Or  lifted  up  my  sinking  head, 

«'  In  all  thy  ways  thy  hand  1  own, 

Thy  ruling  Providence  1  see  ; 
Assist  me  still  my  course  to  run, 

And  still  direct  my  paths  to  thee. 


96 


CHAPTER    ELEVENTH. 


OF     A     LIFE     OF     SPECIAL     SIGNS     AND     MANIJ'ESTA 
TIONS,  AS   COMPARED   WITH   A   LIFE   OF  FAITH. 

The  views  which  have  been  taken  of  the  life  of 
faith  will  aid  us  in  forming  a  proper  estimate  of  a  ten- 
dency, which  is  often  noted  among  the  followers  of 
Christ,  to  seek  for  signs,  tokens,  and  manifestations,  as 
the  basis,  in  part  at  least,  of  their  full  reconciliation 
with  God,  and  of  a  holy  life.  We  are  aware  that  this 
tendency  arises,  in  some  cases,  from  ignorance  ;  but  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  it  has  its  origin  chiefly  in  that 
dreadful  malady  of  our  nature,  the  sin  of  unbelief. 
But  considered  in  any  point  of  view,  and  as  originating 
in  any  cause  whatever,  we  cannot  regard  it  as  otherwise 
than  wrong  in  principle,  and  as  exceedingly  injurious 
in  its  consequences.  In  reading,  not  long  since,  the 
Memoirs  of  the  pious  and  devoted  Lady  Maxwell,  oui 
attention  was  directed  to  a  consecration  of  herself  to 
God,  at  an  early  period  of  her  life,  conceived  in  terms, 
which,  as  it  seemed  to  us,  a  more  matured  judgment, 
and  a  more  advanced  experience  of  God's  faithfulness, 
such  as  she  had  in  the  later  periods  of  her  life,  would 
not  have  entirely  approved.  The  portion  of  this  inter- 
esting act  of  consecration,  to  which  reference  is  here 
particularly  made,  is  as  follows :  "  If  thou.  Lord,  wilt 
manifest  thy  dear  Son  to  me,  clear  up  my  evidence  of 
my  interest  in  him,  shed  abroad  his  love  at  all  times  in 
my  heart,  and  let  me  feel  him  ever  drawing  me  to 
himself  with  the  cords  of  love,  and  in  times  of  trial 
make  his  strength  perfect  in  my  weakness,  and  not  de- 
sert me  in  duty  nor  in  temptation ;  if  thou.  Lord,  wilt 


OF    A    LIFE     OF     SIGNS    AND    MANIFESTATIONS.  97 

do  these  great  things  for  me,  then,  in  thy  strength,  1 
give  myself  unto  thee,  soul,  body,  and  spirit,  in  the 
bonds  of  an  everlasting  covenant  never  to  be  forgotten." 
It  seems  to  be  a  fair  inference,  from  these  expressions, 
that  this  pious  lady  had  an  earnest  desire,  at  the  period 
of  making  this  consecration,  to  devote  herself  entirely 
to  God  ;  but  that  she  had  not  faith  enough,  or  perhaps 
we  might  properly  say,  she  was  afraid  to  commit 
herself  without  reserve  into  the  hands  of  her  heavenly 
Father ;  which  is  the  true  idea  of  consecration,  and 
without  which  no  act  of  consecration  can  be  of  any 
value.  In  other  words,  she  had  not  faith  enough  to 
make  this  important  surrender  or  renunciation  of  self 
(a  renunciation  which  is  so  indispensable  to  a  full  realiza- 
tion of  the  inward  life)  without  some  special  testimony 
of  his  favor,  some  inward  sign,  some  specific  feeling  ; 
something,  probably  not  very  definitely  represented  even 
to  her  own  conceptions,  which  should  assure  her,  ante- 
cedently to  the  full  surrender  on  her  part,  of  the  divine 
icceptance. 

Many  persons,  who  have  seen  and  have  corrected  the 
error,  and  are  now  living  the  true  life  of  faith,  can  testi- 
fy that,  in  the  earlier  periods  of  their  experience,  they 
have  hesitated  and  been  perplexed  in  a  similar  manner. 
A.nd  as  the  subject  is  practically  one  of  great  impor- 
tance, it  may  be  proper  to  introduce  here  some  instances 
and  illustrations,  in  addition  to  what  has  already  been 
said.  ''  My  anxiety,"  says  a  religious  person,  whose 
experience  is  given  in  a  recent  publication,  "  for  ad- 
v'ancement  in  holiness  increased.  My  mind  became 
exceedingly  burdened.  1  was  convinced  that  I  must 
make  a  new  and  entire  consecration  of  myself  to  God, 
yet  shrank  from  such  a  total  surrender.  I  sometimes 
felt,  that  if  the  Lord  would  make  some  communication 
to  my  soul,  as  a  pledge  that  he  was  ready  to  meet  me, 
and  would  grant  sufficient  grace  in  case  I  entered  into 
such  solemn  covenant  to  be  his,  I  could  then  venture  to 
engage  to  live  henceforth  for  him  alone  ;  but,  through 
weakness  of  faith,  /  dared  not  venture  forward  upon 
9 


9,8  OF    A    LIFE    OF    SIGNS    AND    MANIFESTATIONS, 

his  7iaked  proinise.  No  such  aid  to  my  faith,  however, 
was  granted.  J  saw  that  the  surrender  must  be  un- 
conditional." 

Says  another  writer  in  the  same  work,  "  I  continued 
seeking  for  light  on  this  subject,  when  one  night,  after 
a  severe  struggle  with  unbelief,  I  covenanted  with  the 
Lord,  that,  if  he  would  keep  me  from  all  sin  through 
the  next  day,  I  would  then  believe  that  such  a  state 
might  be  enjoyed  on  earth.  All  was  now  calm.  1  rose 
in  the  morning  in  the  same  peaceful  frame  of  mind, 
and  at  the  close  of  the  day  I  could  not  but  acknowl- 
edge that  I  had  enjoyed  something  to  which  I  had 
ever  before  been  a  stranger.  An  incident  occurred 
which  at  any  other  time  would  have  excited  feelings 
of  anger ;  but  it  did  not,  in  the  least,  disturb  the  deep 
quiet  which  reigned  within.  The  time  had  arrived  for 
me  to  fulfil  my  covenant  promise.  But  alas  !  unbelieJ 
triumphed  ;  and  I  desired  another  sign,  which  was,  the 
continuation  of  this  full  salvation  for  one  week.  I 
thought  this  manifestation  of  saving  grace  would  put 
the  doctrine  beyond  any  farther  doubt.  But  I  had  had 
sufficient  evidence.  I  had  persisted  in  unbelief;  and 
my  request  was  not  granted."  * 

The  signs,  tokens,  or  manifestations,  which  both  those 
who  are  seeking  religion  in  the  first  instance,  and  those 
who  are  aiming  at  its  highest  attainments,  not  unfre- 
quently  ask  for,  either  in  express  words  or  by  the  hid- 
den language  of  the  secret  tendency  of  the  mind,  are 
various  ;  but  the  most  of  them  may  probably  be  brought 
together  under  three  heads  or  classes.  The  first  class 
are  those  which  are  external ;  sometimes  an  object  of 
vision  addressed  to  the  outward  sight;  sometimes  a 
sound  addressed  to  the  outward  hearing  ;  or  some  re- 
markable combination  of  circumstances  in  relation  to 
our  persons  or  families ;  or  something  peculiar  and  stri- 
king in  God's  providences  ;  or  perhaps  the  suggestion  of 

*  Guide  to  Christian  Perfection,  vol.  i.  p.  266;  vol.  ii.  p.  173.  See 
also  further  illustrations  of  this  subject,  vol.  il  pp.  31,  202;  vol  ii 
p.  221 ;  and  vol.  i>.  p.  184. 


AS    C  tMPARED    WITH    >    LIFK    OF    FAITH.  99 

passages  of  Scripture  of  a  certain  character ;  or  the  per- 
sonal appearance  of  the  Savior,  revealed  either  in  his 
earthly  or  his  celestial  body,  and  made  present  to  the 
outward  vision.  The  manifestation,  which  was  made  to 
Paul  in  his  journey  to  Damascus,  when  he  saw  a  bright 
light  shining  from  heaven,  and  heard  a  voice,  and  per- 
haps also  that  of  Stephen,  when  he  saw  the  heavens 
opened  and  beheld  the  Savior  at  the  right  hand  of  God, 
were  of  this  class.  The  second  class  are  those  which 
are  internal,  in  distinction  from  those  which  are  ex- 
ternal, but  still  are  essentially  of  a  perceptive  or  in- 
tellectual nature  ;  that  is  to  say,  are  not  necessarily 
attended  with  an  effect  upon  the  heart.  A  person,  for 
instance,  may  inwardly  and  intellectually  have  a  re- 
vealed perception  of  heaven,  of  angels  ascending  and 
descending,  of  bright  and  rejoicing  companies  of  the 
saints,  or  of  any  thing  else  which  is  a  matter  of  knowl- 
edge and  revelation,  whether  it  has  relation  to  the 
world  of  happiness  or  the  world  of  woe.  Such  mani- 
festations are  not  seen  outwardly  or  by  the  outward 
sense  ;  but  when  they  are  really  from  God,  are  made 
known  by  a  divine  communication  operating  in  the  in 
tellectual  part.  And  this  is  done  so  distinctly  as  entire 
ly  to  control  belief;  though  it  is  not  necessarily  attended 
with  holy  emotion.  We  have  an  instance  of  this  in 
the  apostle  Paul,  when,  without  knowing  whether  he 
was  in  the  body  or  out  of  the  body,  he  was  caught  up, 
as  it  were,  into  the  third  heavens,  and  beheld  things 
unutterable. 

The  THIRD  class  are  peculiarities  in  emotive  and  af- 
fective experience ;  in  other  words,  the  existence  of 
specific  emotions  and  affections  of  a  peculiar  kind  ;  such 
as  the  experience  of  sorrow  in  a  very  intense  degree,  or 
a  peculiar  strength  and  fulness  of  joy,  or  a  deep  and 
silent  awe,  or  an  indefinable  melting  of  the  heart  in 
rapturous  ecstasies.  And  not  un  frequently  we  charac 
terize  the  emotion  or  affection,  which  we  seek  for  as 
the  sign  or  testimony  of  our  good  estate,  by  its  likeness 
to  the  alleged  experience  of  some  of  our  religions  ac- 


100         OF    A    LIFE    OF    SIGNS    AND    MANIFESTATIONS, 

quaiiitances.  In  other  words,  we  desire  a  form  of  ex* 
perience  like  theirs ;  not  only  resembling  it  in  its  nature, 
but  resembling  it  in  its  modifications  or  peculiarities. 
It  is  the  peculiarity,  the  specific  character  of  the  thing, 
which  in  these  cases,  more  than  the  thing  itself  inde- 
pendently of  the  peculiarity,  seems  to  constitute  the  sign. 

But  whatever  the  specific  thing  may  be,  there  can  be 
no  doubt  as  to  the  general  fact,  viz.,  that  a  special  expe- 
rience of  some  kind,  either  inward  or  outward,  either 
in  the  perceptions  or  the  feelings,  is  often  desired  and 
sought  after,  and  is  sometimes  made  an  absolute  condi- 
tion, both  by  those  who  are  seeking  religion  in  the  first 
instance,  and  by  those  who  are  seeking  the  additional 
grace  of  sanctification,  before  they  are  willing  to  trust 
themselves  in  the  hands  of  God,  to  be  wholly  and  unre- 
servedly his.  In  order  to  exercise  faith  in  God,  they 
must  have  something  to  build  upon  besides  God  him- 
self—  a  striking  proof  of  the  deep  distrust  and  unbelief 
Df  the  human  heart,  and  how  blind  man  is  when  left 
to  himself,  and  how  surely  he  would  rush  to  his  own 
destruction. 

I  recollect  to  have  read  the  Life  of  a  pious  woman,  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  (and  it  is  by  no 
means  the  only  one  which  has  come  within  my  notice,) 
which  seemed  to  me  to  be  an  illustration  of  what  has 
been  said.  I  refer  to  the  Life,  published  many  years 
since  in  Scotland,  of  Miss  Elizabeth  Cairns.  There  is 
reason  to  think,  from  the  statements  v/hich  are  given  in 
this  interesting  Memoir,  that  the  Spirit  of  God  operated 
upon  the  mind  of  this  devout  person  from  early  life. 
But  not  having  received  suitable  instructions  in  the 
nature  of  true  religious  experience  at  an  early  period, 
she  seems  to  have  been  led  very  thoroughly  into  the 
system  of  living  by  special  manifestations,  and  those 
high  emotions  which  are  apt  to  be  attendant  on  them. 
When  she  had  manifestations,  (which  is  perhaps  ,the 
best  terra  we  can  find,  though  not  an  unexceptionable 
one,  for  the  peculiar  form  of  her  experience,)  especially 
if  they   were  remarkable   ones    she   was    exceedingly 


AS    COMPARED    WITH    A    LIFF     OF    FAITH.  101 

happy.     She  regarded  them  as  the  tokens  of  the  divine 
favor  ;  and  it  was  but  natural  that  she  should  rejoice. 
But  when    they    were    withdrawn,  a   mental    reaction 
almost  invariably  took  place,  and  she  became  exceed- 
ingly miserable  ;  so  that  her  life  exhibited  an  unpleasant 
alternation  of  elevations  and  depressions  —  of  the  joyful 
and  of  the  terrific  —  of  rapture  and  of  wretchedness.     In 
her    seasons  of  desertion,   as   she   regarded   them,   her 
temptations  were  great,  and  almost  overwhelming.     It 
almost  seemed  to  her  darkened  view  as  if  the  very  being, 
as  well  as  the  presence  and  glory,  of  God  was  blotte°d 
out  of  existence.     Some  good  people,  who  sympathized 
in  her  desires  after  holiness,  endeavored  to  instruct  her 
in  a  better  way  ;  but  she  had  so  long  lived  upon  special 
and  powerful  illuminations,  which  she  had  been  in  the 
habit  of  regarding  as  the  only  sure  signs  and  testimo- 
nies of  her  good  estate,  that  she  found  it  difficult  to  un- 
derstand their  views,  and  still  more  difficult  to  put  them 
in  practice.     She  speaks  particularly,  in  her  Memoir,  of 
an  experienced    Christian    friend,  who,  perceiving  the 
temptations  and  wretchedness  that  followed  her  seasons 
of  high  manifestations,  endeavored  to  aid  her.     "  This 
person  told  me,"  she  relates,  "  that  I  must  part  with  that 
life,  or  I  must  go  out  of  the  world ;  as  also  she  told  me 
of  a  life  of  faith  a  believer  lived  by  in  this  world  ;  and 
that  sensible  manifestations  were  reserved  for  eternity. 
And  by  similitude  she  taught  me,  that  Christ  did  with 
his    young  converts  as  a  woman  doth  with  her  child 
when  it  is  young.     She  carries  it  in  her  arms,  and  leads 
it  by  the  hands;  bit  when  it  comes  to  more  strength, 
she  lets  it  walk  alone,  and  take  a  fall,  and  rise  again  ;  and 
yet  her  love  is  still  the  same.     So  doth  Christ  with  his 
people.     In  their  first  entry  into  his  way,  he  manifests 
much  of  his  love  to  them  ;  but  when  they  come  to  more 
experience,  he  withdraws  sense  from  them,  that  they 
may  be  taught  to   walk  by  faith  ;  but  yet  his  love  is 
still  the  same  to  fhem.     This,"  she   adds,  "  was  good 
advice;    but  alas!    I  knew  not  how  to  take   it."     At 
a  later  period  of  her  life  she  remarks,  "  I  did  not  know 

Q  * 


102         OF    A    LIFK    OF    SIGNS    AND    MANIFESTATIONS, 

a  life  of  faith  ;  but  still  pursued  a  life  of  sense,  foolishly 
thinking,  with  Pettr,  to  dwell  in  the  mount  of  mani- 
fesUitions.  O  the  great  mistake  I  was  in  !  For  although 
the  Lord  had  graciously  visited  me  with  many  earnests 
and  pledges  of  his  love,  and  thereby  satisfied  me  as  to 
my  interest  in  the  common  salvation,  yet  I  did  not 
know  that  I  should  have  submitted  to  his  will,  and  put 
a  blank  in  his  hand  as  to  more  extraordinary  al- 
lowances.^'' 

The  consequence  of  this  mistake  was,  as  has  already 
been  intimated,  that  this  pious  individual  was  exposed 
to  many  internal  troubles.  She  gives  us  to  understand, 
that,  in  the  intervals  of  her  more  extraordinary  experi- 
ences, she  felt  the  ragings  of  sin  in  her  ;  was  in  deep  sor- 
row ;  had  at  times  but  little  access  in  prayer  ;  was  tempted 
to  impatience,  atheism,  and  self-destruction  ;  —  and  we 
may  very  properly  ask  here,  as  she  had  made  up  her  mind, 
ignorantly  perhaps,  but  yet  truly,  to  walk  by  special  and 
extraordinary  manifestations  and  illuminations  rather 
than  the  simple  and  self-crucifying,  the  humbling  and 
purifying  way  of  faith,  —  the  way  in  which  prophets, 
patriarchs,  and  apostles  trod,  —  could  we  well  expect  it  to 
be  otherwise  ?  When  we  arrive  at  the  true  and  funda- 
mental element  of  a  holy  life,  we  shall  find  that  God 
has  but  one  way.  And  we  may  be  assured,  that  He 
will  honor  and  bless  his  own  method  of  holy  living, 
and  no  other. 

The  remarks  which  have  been  made  upon  this  case 
vvill  apply  very  well,  in  many  particulars,  to  the  religious 
experience  of  Miss  Anthony,  formerly  a  resident  of 
Newport,  in  Rhode  Island,  and  a  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational church.  Her  Hfe  was  written  by  Dr.  Hop- 
kins, a  man  well  known  for  his  theological  labors.  It 
exhibits  the  same  traits,  though  not  in  an  equal  degree, 
with  those  which  characterize  the  Memoir  which  has 
just  been  remarked  upon.  It  is  well  known,  that  there 
are  many  memoirs  of  pious  persons  which  are  ahnost 
wholly  made  up  of  marked  and  wonderful  manifesta- 
tions, somctinies  purely  intellectual,  and  consisting  of 


AS    COMPARED    V/ITII    A    LIFE    OF    FAITH.  103 

what  may  be  called  spiritual  revelations  or  discoveries, 
and  sometimes  accfjmpanied  with  great  joys  and  rap- 
tures ;  but  which  are  generally  characterized  by  being 
followed  by  long  intervals  of  darkness,  temptation,  and 
oftentimes  of  sin.  Accordingly,  the  whole  life  of  the 
person,  in  many  narratives  of  this  kind,  is  a  series  of  alter- 
nations of  these  very  diverse  states ;  whereas  a  life  of  sim- 
ple and  childlike  faith  in  God's  word,  based  upon  an  unre- 
served and  permanent  consecration,  keeps  the  soul,  as  it 
were,  in  equilibrium ;  converting  darkness  into  light, 
removing  rocky  and  precipitous  obstructions,  and  making 
all  things  even.  It  is  certainly  an  important  question, 
whether  such  written  and  publislied  memoirs  as  have 
been  mentioned  are  so  useful  reading  for  the  religious 
community  as  they  are  generally  supposed  to  be.  I 
have  often  been  deeply  impressed  with  the  conviction 
that  they  tend,  in  some  important  respects,  to  give  an 
erroneous  view  of  the  true  nature  of  the  religious  life. 
They  do  not  sound  to  me  like  the  life  of  Paul,  and  still 
less  like  the  life  of  the  Savior.  And  yet  they  are  gen- 
erally regarded  as  more  interesting,  and  are  undoubtedly 
much  more  exciting,  than  the  lives  of  those  eminent 
Christians  who  persevere  in  the  even  and  delightful 
tenor  of  their  way,  thinking  but  little  of  themselves 
and  much  of  Christ,  but  little  about  their  own  happiness 
and  much  about  the  glory  of  God  ;  like  Thauler,  of  the 
fourteenth  century,  and  the  author  of  the  "  Imitation  ot 
Christ ;  "  like  Fenelon  and  Leighton,  of  later  times  ;  like 
Edwards  and  Wesley,  who  lived,  and  labored,  and  suf- 
fered, in  the  fulfilment  of  a  constant  consecration,  and  in 
the  exercise  of  a  constant  trust  in  their  heavenly  Father. 
(1.)  In  view  of  what  has  been  said  in  this  chapter, 
we  remark,  in  the  first  place,  that  God  does  not  design 
that  men,  in  the  present  life,  should  live  by  means  of 
specific  signs,  testimonies,  or  manifestations,  but  by  sim- 
ple faith  alone.  The  great  design  of  the  gospel,  in  its 
practical  and  final  result  on  man,  seems  to  be  to  restore 
and  firmly  establish  the  lost  principle  of  faith,  as  the 
true  and  only  available  basis  of  the  religious  life.     And 


104         OF    A    LIFE    OF    SIGNS    ANT)    MANIFESTATIONS, 

there  seems  to  be  a  necessity  that  it  should  be  so.  From 
the  nature  of  the  case,^there  never  can  be  any  true 
reconcihation  and  harmony  between  God  and  his  crea- 
tures, until  they  can  so  far  have  confidence  in  him  as  to 
receive  his  declarations,  and  to  draw  their  life,  as  it  were, 
from  the  words  which  have  proceeded  out  of  his  mouth. 
In  any  other  way  of  living,  whatever  may  be  the  nature 
of  their  inward  or  outward  experiences,  they  live  at 
variance  with  the  order  and  the  plans  of  God  ;  out  of  the 
line  of  his  precepts;  and  of  course,  in  the  same  degree, 
out  of  the  range  of  his  blessings.  And  hence  it  is  that 
we  find  the  remarkable  expressions  of  the  Savior  to  the 
doubting  disciple,  "  Because  thou  hast  seen  me,  thou 
hast  believed.  Blessed  are  they  that  have  not  seen, 
and  yet  have  believed." 

And  we  desire  here,  as  a  matter  of  some  importance, 
to  lay  down  a  practical  test  or  rule  on  this  subject.  It 
is  this :  Whenever  we  desire  a  specific  experience, 
whether  inward  or  outward,  whether  of  the  intellect  or 
the  affections,  antecedently  to  the  exercise  of  faith,  we 
are  necessarily,  in  so  doing,  seeking  a  sign,  or  testimony,  or 
sometliing,  whatever  we  may  choose  to  call  it,  additional 
to  the  mere  declaration  and  word  of  God.  There  is  obvi- 
ously a  lingering  distrust  in  the  mind,  which  jostles  us 
out  of  the  line  of  God's  order ;  which  is  not  satisfied 
with  his  way  of  bringing  the  world  into  reconciliation 
with  himself;  and  under  the  influence  of  which  we  are 
looking  round  for  some  new  and  additional  witness  foi 
our  faith  to  rest  upon.  In  other  words,  although  we  may 
not  be  fully  conscious  of  it,  we  desire  a  sign.  In  the 
language  of  the  experienced  Mr.  Fletcher,  of  Madely, 
"  we  want  to  see  our  own  faith  ;  "  a  state  of  mind  which, 
as  it  requires  sight  to  see  our  faith  with,  in  other  words, 
a  basis  of  faith  additional  to  that  which  God  has  already 
given,  is  necessarily  inconsistent  with  and  destructive 
of  faith.  This  simple  test  will  aid  very  much  in  re- 
vealing to  us  the  true  state  of  our  hearts.  We  repeat  it, 
therefore,  that  we  may  in  general  know  whether  the 
experience  which  we  are  seeking  is,  or  is  not,  of  the 


AS    COMPARED    WITH    A    LIFE    OF    FAITH.  105 

iiatuie  of  a  testimony  or  sign  required  of  God  as  the 
condition  of  oar  faith  and  obedience,  by  the  mark  which 
has  been  mentioned,  viz.,  when  we  seeic  for  it,  whatever 
it  is,  antecedent  to  that  exercise  of  faith  which  is 
wilhng  to  leave  what  we  desire,  and  every  thing  which 
has  relation  to  us,  submissively  in  the  hands  of  God. 

(2.)  We  remark  again,  that  the  life  of  specific  signs, 
testimonies,  and  manifestations,  is  not  only  evil  by  being 
a  deviation  from  the  way  of  faith,  but  is  evil  also  by 
keeping  alive  and  cherishing  the  selfish  principle,  instead 
of  destroying  it.  He  who  seeks  to  live  in  this  manner, 
mstead  of  living  by  simple  faith,  and  who  thus  shows  a 
secret  preference  of  specific  experiences,  modelled  after 
his  own  imaginations  of  things,  to  that  pearl  of  great 
price,  which  is  found  in  leaving  all  things  with  God, 
necessarily  seeks  to  have  things  in  his  own  way.  The 
way  of  faith  is  the  way  of  sel^renunciation  ;  the  hum- 
bling and  despised  way  of  our  personal  nothingness. 
The  way  of  signs,  testimonies,  and  manifestations,  is 
the  way  of  one's  own  will;  and  therefore  naturally 
tends  to  keep  alive  and  nourish  the  destructive  principle 
of  se  fishness.  The  lives  of  those  who  attempt  to  live 
in  this  way,  with  some  variations  in  particular  cases,  may 
be  regarded  as  an  evidence  of  the  general  correctness  of 
these  remarks.  They  seem  like  children  brought  up  in 
an  unwisely  indulgent  manner  ;  not  unfrequently  full  of 
themselves,  when  they  are  gratified  in  the  possession 
of  their  particular  object,  and  full  of  discouragement, 
peevishness,  and  even  of  hostility,  which  are  the  natural 
results  of  the  workings  of  self,  when  they  are  dis- 
appointed. 

(3.)  We  observe,  in  the  third  place,  that  another  evil 
of  that  system  of  the  religious  life  which  is  based  upon 
signs  and  upon  preconceived,  and  prescribed  manifes- 
tations and  experiences,  is,  that  it  exposes  persons  to  al- 
ternations and  reverses  of  feeling,  which  are  injurious 
to  the  subjects  of  them,  and  are  prejudicial  to  the  cause 
of  religion  in  the  eyes  of  the  world.  Remarkable  man- 
ifestations aid    experiences  (and    those    who  have  en- 


l06         OF    A    LIFE    OF    SIGNS    AND    MANIFESTATIONS, 

tered  into  this  system  are  not  generally -satisfied  with 
any  thing  short  of  what  is  remarkable )  are  usually,  and, 
from  our  present  physical  and  mental  constitution,  per- 
haps we  may  say,  are  necessarily,  of  short  continuance. 
While  the  manifestations  or  specific  experiences,  what- 
ever they  may  be,  continue,  the  mind  is  in  a  state  of 
wondering  and  generally  joyous  excitement.  But  when 
the  termination  of  these  seasons  comes,  which  is  com- 
monly proximate  in  proportion  to  their  wonderful  na- 
ture, then  succeeds  the  period  of  mental  depression,  of 
darkness  that  can  almost  be  felt,  of  horrible  temptations  ; 
Satan  saying  to  the  soul  continually,  "  Where  now  is  thy 
God  ?  "  And  how  can  it  well  be  otherwise,  when  those 
who  take  this  erroneous  course  pray  and  wrestle,  often- 
times perhaps  without  „being  fully  aware  of  it,  for  sight 
rather  than  for  faith,  and  for  revelations,  which  gratify 
the  natural  curiosity,  rather  than  for  righteousness, 
which  purifies  the  heart  ? 

(4.)  We  observe,  again,  that  it  is  impossible,  as  it 
seems  to  us,  for  God  to  bring  a  soul  to  the  highest  re- 
sults of  religion,  and  truly  to  sanctify  it,  so  long  as  it 
continues  in  this  disposition  of  seeking  a  sign,  and  at- 
tempts to  live  spiritually  by  means  of  signs ;  or  that  in 
any  other  way  proposes  to  regulate  God,  and  to  prescribe 
conditions  to  Infinite  Love.  One  expression,  and  a  very 
satisfactory  one,  of  sanctification,  is,  union  with  thf 
DIVINE  will  ;  in  other  words,  having  no  will  but  God's  : 
"  He  that  is  joined  to  the  Lord  is  one  spirit."  And  it 
is  this  union  of  spirit  with  spirit,  of  will  with  will,  whicli 
God  especially  requires.  And  just  so  far  as  there  is  a  di- 
vergence of  the  human  will  from  the  divine,  just  in  that 
degree  it  is  very  evident  there  is,  and  must  be,  a  want 
of  holiness.  Now,  God's  will  (and  in  the  infinitude  of 
his  perfections  it  cannot  be  otherwise)  is,  that  we  should 
trust  him,  both  his  character  and  his  declarations ;  that, 
in  respect  to  his  various  dealings  with  us, — dealings 
which  of  course  indicate  his  designs  and  purposes,  — 
we  should  lie  submissive  and  passive  in  his  hands  ;  and 
that  the  language  of  tur  hearts  should  be,  at  all  times 


AS    COMPAKED    WITH    A    LIFE     OF    FAITH.  107 

Even  so,  Father,  for  so  it  seemeth  good  in  thy  sight." 
But  he  who  seeks  a  sign,  an  inward  or  outward  testi- 
mony, a  specific  and  preconceived  manifestation  of  any 
U:ind,  as  the  basis  of  the  inward  life,  either  in  its  begin- 
ning or  its  advancement ;  in  other  words,  who  says  to 
the  Lord,  Do  tiiis  thing,  or  that  thing,  (whatever  it 
may  be,)  and  then  I  will  give  thee  my  heart,  and  believe 
in  thee,  obviously  fails  to  exercise  the  required  trust  in 
God.  And  consequently,  being  wanting  in  the  true 
spirit  of  harmony  and  union  with  God,  he  cannot  rightly 
be  regarded,  while  remaining  in  this  state,  as  a  person 
to  whom  the  character  of  sanctification  or  holiness 
either  is,  or  can  be,  properly  ascribed. 

(5.)  We  remark,  finally,  that  a  life  of  faith,  in  distinc- 
tion from  a  life  of  manifestations,  is  not  necessarily,  as 
some  seem  to  suppose,  exclusive  of  feeling.  The  diffi- 
culty, which  exists  in  the  minds  of  those  who  entertain 
the  idea  that  a  life  of  faith  is  a  life  without  feeling, 
arises  from  that  limited  view  of  things  which  considers 
faith  in  its  own  nature,  exclusive  of  its  relations  and 
results.  And  it  may  be  well  to  say  here,  that  a  thing  is 
never  properly  understood,  and  cannot  be  properly  un- 
derstood and  known,  unless  it  is  understood  and  known 
in  its  relations  and  results,  as  well  as  in  itself.  And  on 
this  ground,  therefore,  we  assert,  the  relations  and  results 
of  faith  are  such,  that  it  is  a  great  mistake  to  say  that  a 
life  of  faith  is  a  life  without  feeling. 

In  our  inquiries  into  the  nature  of  the  religious  life,  we 
wish,  if  possible,  to  ascertain  the  foundation  principle, 
the  corner-stone.  And  we  cannot  have  any  hesitation 
in  saying,  both  from  the  Scriptures  and  from  the  nature 
and  reason  of  the  thing,  that  this  principle  is,  and  must 
be,  FAITH.  Undoubtedly,  there  may  be  feeling  of  some 
kind  without  faith  ;  but  there  cannot  be  truly  acceptable 
religious  feeling  without  it.  Faith  must  precede.  1 
think  we  may  lay  it  down  as  a  fixed  and  unalterable 
principle,  that  any  feeling,  however  strong  it  may  be, 
which  exists  antecedent  to  faith,  or  which  exists  irrespec- 
tive of  faith,  can  never  be  relied  on  as  of  a  truly  religious 


108         OF    A    LIFE    OF    SIGNS    AND    MANIFESTATIONS, 

and  saving  value.  But  if  the  true  doctrine  is,  that  faith 
should  go  first,  it  is  nevertheless  true,  that  feeling  will 
come  after.  In  all  cases  where  there  is  faith,  (we  mean 
relig-ious  faith,  viz.,  in  God,  in  Christ,  and  in  all  divine 
declarations,)  feeling  in  its  various  forms,  and,  what  is 
very  important,  the  right  kind  of  feeling,  will  naturally 
and  necessarily  flow  out.  It  will  be  such  feeling  as  God 
approves  ;  it  will  be  such  feeling  as  filled  the  bosom  of  the 
Savior  while  here  on  earth;  always  appropriate  to  the 
occasion  ;  sometimes  gentle  and  sometimes  strong,  some- 
times characterized  by  joy  and  sometimes  by  sorrow, 
always  bearing  the  marks  of  purity  and  benevolence  ;  but 
"  always,  when  the  exercise  of  faith  exists  in  the  highest 
degree,  distinguished  by  the  beautiful  trait  of  calmness 
and  peace. 

We  might  pursue  this  important  subject  further  ;  but 
we  leave  it  with  a  single  observation,  accompanied  by  a 
reference  to  an  experienced  and  able  writer.  We  desire 
it  to  be  understood,  as  consistent  with  what  has  been  said, 
that  such  specific  signs,  revelations,  and  manifestations^ 
and  also  such  peculiarities  of  the  more  inward  and  emo- 
tional or  aflective  experience  as  have  been  referred  to  in 
the  present  chapter,  are  good  in  their  place.  And  if  it 
be  inquired  what  their  place  is,  the  proper  answer  seems 
to  be,  when  they  are  sent  of  God,  unsought  hy  the  crea- 
ture. It  is  the  prerogative  of  God  to  glorify  himself  in 
his  own  way.  It  is  alike  the  privilege  and  the  duty  of  men 
to  leave  themselves  submissively  m  his  hands.  If  God, 
.  in  the  wisdom  of  his  unsearchable  providence,  sees  fit, 
lor  special  purposes  and  on  special  occasions,  to  make 
remarkable  revelations  of  eternal  things,  as  he  did  on  a 
few  occasions  to  Stephen,  and  Paul,  and  John,  or  in  any 
other  ways  to  impart  some  marked  peculiarities  to  our 
experience,  we  are  to  receive  them  in  a  becoming  temper 
of  mind.  And  to  such  occasions  the  humble  Christian, 
^vho  is  deeply  impressed  with  his  own  ignorance  and  de- 
pendence, and  desires  nothing  but  that  he  may  be  holy, 
will  cheerfully  leave  them. 

"If  God  indulge  you,"  says  Mr.  Fletcher,  of  Madely, 


AS    COMPARED    WITH    A    LIFE    OF    FAITH.  109 

"  with  ecstasies  and  extraordinary  revelations,  be  thank- 
ful for  them  ;  but  be  not  exalted  above  measure  by  them. 
Take  care,  lest  enthusiastic  delusions  mix  themselves 
with  them  ;  and  remember  that  your  Christian  perfection 
does  not  so  much  consist  in  building  a  tabernacle  upon 
Mount  Tabor,  to  rest  and  enjoy  rare  sights  there,  as 
in  resolutely  taking  up  the  cross,  and  following  Christ  to 
the  palace  of  a  proud  Caiaphas,  to  the  judgment-hall  of 
an  unjust  Pilate,  and  to  the  top  of  an  ignominious  Cal- 
vary. Ye  never  read  in  your  Bibles,  '  Let  that  glory  be 
upon  you  which  was  also  upon  Stephen,  when  he  looked 
up  steadfastly  into  heaven,  and  said,  "  Behold  !  I  see  the 
heavens  opened,  and  the  Son  of  man  standing  on  the 
right  hand  of  God.'^ '  But  ye  have  frequently  read  there, 
'  Let  this  mind  be  in  you  which  was  also  in  Christ  Jesus, 
who  made  himself  of  no  reputation,  but  took  upon  him 
the  form  of  a  servant,  and  being  found  in  fashion  as  o 
man,  humbled  himself,  and  became  obedient  unto  death, 
pven  the  death  of  the  cross.' " 
10 


110 


CHAPTER  TWELFTH. 

OF  i'URE  OR  HOLY  LOVE,  IN  DISTINCTION  FROM  SELF 
INTERESTED  OR  SELFISH  LOVE. 

It  will  be  recollected,  that  it  was  attempted  to  be 
shown,  ill  one  of  the  preceding  chapters,  that  evangeli- 
cal holiness  is  to  be  regarded  as  the  same  thing  with 
perfect  love.  The  great  commandment  is,  "  Thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  thy 
neighbor  as  thyself."  He  w^ho  begins  to  love  may  be 
said  to  begin  to  be  holy  ;  lut  it  is  he,  and  he  only,  in 
whom  the  principle  of  love  has  subdued  that  of  selfish- 
ness, and  who  loves  with  his  whole  heart,  in  whom  holi- 
ness can  be  said  to  be  complete  or  entire.  Faith,  un- 
doubtedly, whether  we  consider  the  subject  scripturally 
or  psychologically,  is  the  foundation  of  love.  The  views 
which  have  been  presented  in  the  preceding  chapters 
abundantly  show  that  faith  is  a  principle  antecedent  to 
love  in  time,  and  absolutely  indispensable.  But  it  is  love, 
nevertheless,  to  which  God  has  assigned  the  high  honor 
of  declaring  it  to  be  "  the  fulfilling  of  the  law."  So 
that  the  great  question,  —  that  in  comparison  with  which 
every  other  is  of  small  importance, — whether  we  are 
wholly  the  Lord's,  and  are  truly  holy,  may  be  resolved 
into  another,  viz.,  whether  we  are  perfected  in  love  ? 

But  we  proceed  to  remark  here,  in  this  position  of  our 
inquiries,  that  there  are  various  kinds  of  love  ;  or  per- 
haps we  should  rather  say,  that  there  are  various  states 
of  mind  which  are  regarded  as  love,  and  which  bear  the 
name  of  love.  For  instance,  we  may  love  another,  or 
at  least  may  have  an  afljection  towards  him,  which  we 
frequently  call  love,  merely  or  chiefly  for  the  benefits 
which  he  has  conferred  upon  us,  and  without  a  suitable 


OF    PURE    OR    HOLY    LOV^E.  Ill 

regard  to  his  motives,  and  to  his  character  in  other  re- 
spects. Or  we  may  love  him  for  what  he  is  in  and  of 
HIMSELF ;  inchiding  what  he  has  done  for  us  personally, 
and  every  thing  else  which  goes  to  constitute  his  whole 
character.  It  is  the  latter  only  which  is  to  be  regarded 
as  pure  love,  in  distinction  from  self-interested  or  selfish 
love ;  in  other  words,  pure  or  holy  love,  if  we  have  a 
light  conception  of  its  nature,  is  the  same  thing  as  right 
love ;  that  is  to  say,  it  is  a  love  which,  in  being  ac- 
':ordant  with  perfect  rectitude,  is  characterized  by  being 
precisely  conformed  to  its  object  in  all  the  facts  and  rela- 
tions of  the  object,  so  far  as  the  object  is  susceptible  of 
being  known.  It  is  our  purpose  in  this  chapter  to  en- 
deavor to  show,  that  we  ought  to  love  God  with  that 
sort  of  love  which  is  pure,  right,  or  holy. 

( I.)  In  the  first  place,  we  are  required  to  do  this  on 
natural  principles.  Nature  herself —  in  other  words,  the 
common  feeling  and  common  sense  of  mankind  —  teaches 
us  what  true  or  pure  love  is,  in  distinction  from  inter- 
ested or  merely  selfish  love.  If  we  profess  to  love  a  per- 
son, it  is  the  common  and  natural  understanding  in  the 
case,  that  we  pnofess  to  love  him  as  he  is ;  in  other 
words,  we  love  him  for  what  he  is  in  and  of  himself, 
for  any  thing  and  every  thing  which  is  truly  desirable 
and  lovely  in  his  character  ;  and  not  merely  or  chiefly 
for  the  benefits  which  he  may  have  conferred  upon  us. 
The  principles  of  the  philosophy  of  the  mind,  which  are 
drawn  chiefly  from  an  observation  of  the  feelings  and 
conduct  of  men,  do  not  appear  to  recognize  any  other 
true  love  than  this.  If  my  neighbor,  for  instance,  de- 
clares that  he  loves  me,  I  accept  his  declaration,  and  re- 
joice in  it  ;  but  if  I  afterwards  learn  that  he  loves  me 
merely  in  consequence  of  some  benefits  I  have  conferred 
apon  him,  I  can  truly  say  to  him,  he  is  mistaken  in 
the  whole  matter :  and  that  he  loves  himself  and  not 
me.  It  seems  to  be  self-evident,  that  all  true  or  pure 
love  must  terminate  in  the  object  that  is  beloved,  and 
not  in  the  person  that  exercises  love.  And  accordingly, 
while  such  love  regards  its  own  interests  in  their  true 


112  OF    PURE    OB    HOLT    LOTE,    IN    DISTDfCTlOX 

light,  azi  us:  ::_5  they  oaght  to  be  regarded,  it  is  never 
selfish,  nfTc-  c^::i^tieal.  In  other  xrords,  it  shows  no 
disposition  to  turn  back  continually  upon  itseli".  and  to 
revolve  around  its  own  centre  of  origin.  On  the  con- 
trary, true  or  pore  lore,  in  distinction  from  that  which  is 
self-interested,  is  diifusire.  generous,  and  seli-for^ettiug. 
It  expatriates  itseh';  as  it  were :  flying  on  its  beautiful 
Vings  from  its  own  heart  to  find  a  home  in  the  heart  of 
another.  And  it  is  accordingly  with  such  love,  a  love 
which  hves  for  another  and  not  for  itself,  a  love  devoid 
of  any  debasing  and  inferior  mixture,  that  we  ought  to 
love  God. 

(2.)  In  the  second  place,  while  men  are  evidently 
able  to  make  the  distinction  between  these  different 
idnds  or  forms  of  love,  it  is  apparent  also  that  they  re- 
spect and  honor  pore  love  :  while  they  have  neither  ad- 
miration nor  esteem  for  that  form  of  love  which  is  based 
apon  personal  interest  merely.  Some  ancient  heathen 
writers,  Cicero  in  his  treatise  De  Amictiia.  and  Plato  in 
particular,  in  various  places  of  his  writings,  speak  in  the 
highest  terms  of  that  friendship  or  alTectien  which  is  dis- 
interested. Plato  advances  the  sentiment,  that  the  most 
divine  trait  in  man's  nature,  and  that  without  which  he 
cannot  be  happy,  is,  ••  to  deny  and  go  out  of  himself  for 
love."  Hence  it  is,  that  ancient  writers  bestow  such 
high  c(Hmnendiation  upon  the  friendship  of  Pythias  and 
Damon,  who  lived  imdet  the  tjTant  Dionysius.  and  were 
willing  to  die  for  each  other.  Each  of  them  seemed 
willing  to  forget,  and,  as  it  were,  to  extinguish  himself, 
in  order  that  the  other  might  hve  and  be  happy.  This 
was  true  love.  And  men  are  so  constituted,  that  such 
love  always  commands  their  regard  and  honor.  They 
instinctively  perceive,  that  it  has  in  itseh"  a  divine  ele- 
ment, which  necessarily  allies  it  to  the  highest  and  pur- 
est form  of  existence,  whatever  it  may  be ;  and  that  it  is 
mcNrally  beantiful.  and  ever  must  be  so.  in  its  own  unde- 
rived  lustre.  And  accordingly,  they  speak  of  it  at  their 
firesides  :  they  crown  it  with  historic  encomiums  ;  they 
sing  its  ptaises  in  poetry  :  while  all  other  love,  as  exist- 


FKOM    SELF-INTERESTED    OR    SELFISH    LOVE.  113 

ing  between  man  and  man,  they  despise  and  trample 
under  their  feet.  And  is  it  reasonable  to  suppose  that 
a  love  whrdi  men  themselves,  darkened  as  they  are  in 
their  natural  perceptions,  instinctively  condemn  and  re- 
ject, will  be  acceptable  to  God  ? 

(3.)  In  the  third  place,  the  character  of  God  is  so 
pure,  so  exalted,  that  the  claims  of  right  and  justice  can- 
not be  satisfied  with  any  homage  which  it  may  receive 
short  of  pure  or  holy  love.  God  contains  in  himself  the 
sum  of  all  conceivable  excellence.  If  there  is  any  being 
who  is  to  be  loved  for  himself,  because  he  contains  in 
himself  every  thing  that  is  lovely,  it  is  God.  If  human 
beings  reject  with  an  instinctive  contempt  any  love 
which  is  found  to  be  based  upon  selfish  considerations, 
how  can  God,  who  has  so  much  higher  claims,  receive 
it?  Upon  this  point,  all  language  fails.  The  tongues  of 
angels  cannot  describe  the  divine  excellence.  It  is  be- 
cause God  is  what  he  is,  and  will  continue  to  be  what 
he  has  been,  that  he  is  the  true  and  only  proper  object 
of  the  heart's  highest  homage.  The  divine  character 
stands  forth,  in  the  view  of  the  universe,  as  the  natural, 
the  appropriate,  and  ever-sufficient  object  of  pure  love. 

But  the  question  may  be  asked  here  with  some  degree 
of  force,  "  Is  not  God's  benevolence  towards  ourselves 
to  be  taken  into  view,  and  to  have  some  effect  upon  our 
feelings  ?  "  Undoubtedly  it  is.  We  shall  love  God,  if  we 
fulfil  the  divine  requisition  in  its  entire  extent,  as  he  is, 
and  not  otherwise  than  he  is.  And  this  implies,  that  we 
are  to  take  into  view  every  part  of  his  character  and  ot 
his  acts.  It  is  true,  it  is  impossible  to  love  him  with 
that  kind  of  love  which  is  called  pure  love,  for  the  sim- 
ple and  exclusive  reason  that  he  has  been  good  to  us. 
Pure  or  holy  love,  which  does  not  confine  itself  to  any 
personal  or  interested  view  of  things,  necessarily  requires 
a  wider  basis  of  movement  than  this.  But  we  love  him 
with  entire  purity  of  love,  because,  while  he  has  been 
good  to  us,  he  has  sustained,  in  every  other  respect,  the 
perfection  of  his  character  and  acts.  In  other  words, 
there  has  been  a  diffusion  of  truth,  purity,  and  rishteous- 
10* 


11.4  OF    PURE    OR    HOLY    LOVE,    IN    DISTINCTION 

ness,  over  his  whole  character  and  administration  ;  in- 
cluding what  he  has  done  for  ourselves,  as  well  as  his  acts 
ui-  other  respects.  And  it  is  his  character  and  acts,  as 
thus  presented  in  their  entireness,  and  not  in  partial 
glimpses,  which  command  the  homage  of  pure  love 

(4.)  In  the  fourth  place,  the  Scriptures  require  us  to 
love  God  with  disinterested  or  pure  love.  We  say  noth- 
ing here  of  the  great  command,  "  Thou  shall  love  tho 
Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart;"  which  evidently 
implies  the  dethronement  and  exclusion  of  selfishness. 
There  are  various  other  passages  of  Scripture,  which,  if 
we  rightly  understand  them,  evidently  look  to  this  result, 
viz.,  that  we  should  love  him  for  what  he  is  in  and  of 
himself,  independently  of  our  own  private  interests. 
Accordingly,  it  is  said  in  Luke,  chap.  xiv.  26,  "  If  any 
man  come  to  me,  and  hate  not  his  father,  and  mother, 
and  wife,  and  children,  and  brethren,  and  sisters,  yea, 
and  his  own  life  also,  he  cannot  be  my  disciple."  And 
again  in  the  same  chapter,  "  So  likewise,  whosoever  he 
be  of  you  that  forsaketh  not  all  that  he  hath,  he 
cannot  be  my  disciple."  And  again  it  is  said,  in  another 
place,  "  Love  your  enemies  ;  bless  them  that  curse  you  ; 
do  good  to  them  that  hate  you."  And  perhaps  still  more 
directly  and  appositely  to  the  subject  under  considera- 
tion, the  inquiry  is  made  in  another  passage,  "If  ye  love 
them  which  love  you,  what  thanks  have  ye  ?  For  sin- 
ners also  love  those  that  love  them.  And  if  ye  do  good 
to  them  who  do  good  to  you,  what  thanks  have  ye  ? 
For  sinners  also  do  even  the  same."  These  are  the 
declarations  and  precepts  of  the  Savior  himself.  There 
are  many  others  very  similar  to  be  found  in  different 
parts  of  the  Word  of  God ;  as  when,  for  instance,  the 
apostle  John  says,  "Love  not  the  world,  neither  the 
things  that  are  in  the  world.  If  any  man  love  the 
world,  the  love  of  the  Father  is  not  in  him.^'  How  true 
It  is,  then,  that  charity,  or  the  genuine  love  of  God  and 
our  neighbor,  "  seeketh  not  her  own  "  !  And  how  ap- 
propriate the  direction,  "Look  not  every  man  on  his 
own  things ;    but  every  man  also  on  the  things  of  oth- 


FROM    SELF-INTERESTED    OR    SELFISH    LOVE.  115 

evs  "  ]  We  have  only  to  add,  that  passages,  such  as  have 
now  been  referred  to,  evidently  strike  at  the  existence  of 
that  form  of  love,  if  such  it  can  be  called,  which  pro- 
poses to  build  itself  on  personal  or  selfish  considerations. 

(5.)  We  remark,  further,  that  the  nature  of  the  hu- 
man mind  is  such,  being  limited  and  dependent,  that  it 
evidently  requires  an  adequate  centre  of  love,  on  which 
it  can  rest.  No  being,  that  is  weak  and  dependent,  and 
is  conscious,  as  man  is,  of  this  weakness  and  dependence, 
can  find  a  safe  and  satisfactory  centre  in  itself.  Ac- 
cordingly, the  man  whose  love  reverts  wholly  or  chiefly 
to  himself,  is  always  found  to  be  more  or  less  anxious 
and  unhappy.  And  if  our  love  fixes  upon  any  being  out 
of  ourselves,  but  short  of  God  and  to  the  exclusion  of 
God,  it  soon  finds  a  weakness  thera,  and  becomes 
uneasy,  and  has  a  sort  of  instinctive  consciousness  that 
the  true  centre  is  not  yet  found.  Hence,  if  our  souls 
would  find  rest,  they  can  find  it  only  by  an  alienation  of 
self  and  of  all  subordinate  creatures,  and  by  union  with 
God.  And  what  has  now  been  said  is  not  only  obvious 
in  itself,  but  it  is  believed  it  wi!l  be  found  to  be  con- 
firmed by  the  testimony  of  those  who  have  made  the 
greatest  advancement  in  holiness.  In  Jie  transition  they 
have  passed  through,  from  the  natural  life  to  the  true  life 
of  God  in  the  soul,  they  have  attached  themselves,  as  it 
was  perhaps  natural  they  should  do,  to  various  inferior 
objects — to  outward  forms,  to  ministers,  to  church  organi- 
zation and  ceremonies,  to  Christian  friends ;  and  have 
endeavored  for  a  time  to  find  a  rest  of  soul  in  these  in- 
ferior things.  But  it  has  always  eluded  them.  They 
have  felt  the  foundation  shake.  They  have  realized  an 
inward  disquietude  and  weakness,  till,  leaving  every 
thing  else,  however  desirable  in  many  respects  and  for 
many  purposes  it  might  be,  they  have  reached  the  strong 
rock  of  salvation  in  God  alone. 

Finally,  it  is  the  nature  of  true  love  to  react  upon 
and  to  expand  itself.  It  is  satisfied  with  nothing  but 
constant  increase.  It  ever  desires  to  love  more  ;  and  is 
t'.ver  enlarging  its   own   capability  of  loving.     It  can 


1  16     OF  PURE  OR  HOLY  LOVE,  IN  DISTINCTION 

therefore,  rest  firmly  and  quietly,  and  with  entire  satis- 
faction, only  in  an  object  which  has  capacity  and  ful- 
ness enough  to  meet  this  tendency.  As  in  God  there  is 
not  only  infinity  of  being  but  infinite  loveliness,  so  the 
principle  of  love  in  men,  though  it  should  expand  and 
increase  itself  through  all  eternity,  will  find  in  him  all 
Its  wants  supplied.  No  other  object  can  supply  them  ; 
and  it  seeks  no  other.  But  in  God  it  finds  all  that  it 
needs.  It  has  a  home  there,  like  no  other  home.  It  has 
no  fear  of  failure  in  the  beloved  object ;  it  has  no  desire 
of  change.  It  exults  triumphantly,  and  with  ever-in- 
creasing exultation,  in  the  midst  of  the  glories  of  the  In- 
finite Mind.  This  is  the  true  point  of  rest ;  the  soul's 
eternal  rock ;  the  everlasting  centre  ;  and  it  can  be  no- 
where else. 

In  connection  with  what  has  been  said,  we  make  a 
few  remarks  further,  naturally  flowing  out  of  the  sub- 
ject. And,  in  the  first  pjlace,  we  observe,  it  is  a  bad 
sign  when  Christians  are  thinking  more  of  themselves 
than  of  God  ;  in  other  words,  when  they  are  more  taken 
up  with  their  own  joys  and  sorrows  than  they  are  with 
God's  will.  When  this  is  the  case,  they  have  not  as  yet 
learned  the  great  lesson  of  self-crucifixion  ;  of  doing  and 
sufiering  the  will  of  another.  "  The  cup,  which  my 
Father  giveth  me,  shall  I  not  drink  it  ?  "  These  are  the 
words  of  the  Savior ;  and  they  convey  deep  and  precious 
meaning.  When  we  are  fully  delivered  from  the  influ- 
ence of  selfish  considerations,  and  have  become  conform- 
ed to  the  desires  and  purposes  of  the  Infinite  Mind,  we 
shall  drink  the  cup,  and  drink  it  cheerfully,  whatever  it 
may  be.  In  a  word,  we  shall  necessarily  be  submissive 
and  happy  in  all  trials,  and  in  every  change  and  diver- 
sity of  situation.  Not  because  we  are  seeking  happiness 
as  a  distinct  object,  or  thinking  of  happiness  as  a  distinct 
object,  but  because  the  glorious  will  of  Him,  whom  our 
soul  loves  supremely,  is  accomplished  in  us.  To  the 
purified  mind,  the  sorrows  and  joys  of  this  life,  when 
contemplated  in  the  light  of  God's  providences,  are  alike. 
Whatever  God  sends  is  welcome  to  it.     Hence  we  say 


FROM    SELF-INTERESTED    OR    SELFISH    LOVE.  117 

It  shows  a  state  of  mind  short  of  sanctification,  or,  what 
IS  the  same  thing,  short  of  evangelical  perfection,  when 
we  think  more  of  ourselves  than  we  do  of  God,  and  more 
of  our  own  happiness  than  we  do  of  the  divine  glory. 

We  remark,  in  the  second  place,  that  in  the  doctrine 
of  pure  love,  existing  in  the  highest  degree,  we  find  the 
true  basis  of  Christian  harmony.  There  never  can  be 
harmony  among  Christians  without  some  common  centre 
of  attraction.  Without  such  a  centre,  their  principles  of 
movement  will  vary,  and  they  will  be  exposed  to  perpet- 
ual conflicts.  What  a  delightful  prospect  would  be  pre- 
sented, if  all  Christians  could  meet  in  this  great  centre ! 
What  unity  of  purpose  !  What  mingling  of  affection  ! 
It  is  party  and  selfish  interests  which  divide.  A  com- 
mon interest  unites.  God,  being  loved  with  perfect  love, 
and  for  his  own  sake,  makes  all  hearts  one.  It  is  then 
that  we  all  drink,  and  are  all  nourished,  at  the  same 
fountain.  We  unite  in  him  and  rejoice  in  him,  as  a 
principle  of  life-giving  inspiration,  having  a  common  and 
universal  efficacy,  operating  as  the  soul  of  each  separate 
soul  and  the  life  of  each  separate  life,  and  thus  making 
what  was  before  separate  and  self-interested  but  one  life 
and  one  soul  in  himself. 

We  observe,  again,  that  we  find  in  this  doctrine  the 
*,rue  principle,  not  only  of  union  among  Christians  in  this 
life,  but  of  the  permanent  moral  harmony  of  the  uni- 
verse. The  universe  must  have  a  centre ;  and  it  has ; 
and  that  centre  is  God.  But  there  cannot  be  universal 
harmony,  notwithstanding,  unless  all  hearts  are  drawn  to 
that  centre,  as  the  supreme  object  of  attraction  and  de- 
light. This  simple  principle  of  pure  love,  always  termi- 
nating in  God  as  its  centre,  and  as  its  supreme  object, 
excludes  every  jarring  sound,  and  establishes  universal 
concord.  And  as  it  is  exercised  without  distrust  and 
without  fear,  attaching  itself  to  an  object  whose  perfec- 
tions never  change,  it  naturally  brings  substantial  joy  — 
joy,  full  as  its  fountain,  which  is  God,  and  lasting  as 
his  existence,  Vv^hich  is  eternity. 

Finally^  in  the  opposite  of  pure  love,  that  is  to  say, 
in  selfishness,  as  it  develops  itself  in  a  future  life,  we 


118  or  PURE  OR  HOLY  LOVE, 

find  the  great  principle  of  moral  discord,  and  also  that 
which  constitutes  the  essential  basis  of  the  misery  of 
hell.  The  misery  of  hell  is  not  an  accident ;  but.  just  to 
the  extent  it  is  experienced  at  all,  it  is  a  permanent  and 
necessary  truth.  Like  every  thing  else,  it  has  its  philos- 
ophy. Its  leading  element  is  love,  terminating  in  self 
as  the  supreme  object ;  in  other  words,  it  is  supreme 
selfishness.  This  principle,  wherever  it  exists  and 
wherever  it  is  transferred,  necessarily  carries  with  it  the 
grand  element  of  the  world  of  woe.  A  being  who  is 
supremely  selfish  is  necessarily  miserable.  The  result 
does  not  depend  upon  choice  or  volition,  but  upon  the 
nature  of  things.  Instead  of  the  principle  of  unity, 
which  tends  to  oneness  of  purpose  with  other  beings,  and 
naturally  leads  to  happiness,  he  has  within  him  the  prin- 
ciple of  exclusion  and  of  eternal  separation.  In  its  ulti- 
mate operation,  if  it  is  permitted  permanently  to  exist,  it 
necessarily  drives  him  from  every  thing  else,  and  wedges 
him  closer  and  closer  in  the  compressed  circumference 
of  his  own  personality  ;  so  that  he  is  not  only  at  vari- 
ance with  God,  and  with  all  holy  beings,  but  he  is  not 
at  unity  even  with  the  devils  themselves.  The  princi- 
ple of  love,  terminating  in  self  as  the  supreme  object,  and 
exclusive  of  other  objects,  — in  other  words,  supreme  self- 
ishness,—  makes  him  at  war  with  all  other  beings;  and 
it  IS  impossible  for  him  to  be  happy  but  in  their  destruc- 
tion, which  is  also  an  impossibility.  This  is  the  true 
liell  and  everlasting  fire. 


"  O  Love  !   1  languish  at  tljy  stay  ! 

I  pine  for  thee  with  lingering  smart ! 
Weary  and  faint  through  long  delay  ; 

When  wilt  thou  come  into  my  heart? 
From  sin  and  sorrow  set  me  free, 
And  swallow  up  my  soul  in  thee  ! 
"  Come,  O  my  comfort  and  delight ! 

My  strength  and  health,  my  shield  and  sun, 
My  boast,  and  confidence,  and  might, 

^y  j°y»  ™y  S^'^^J^  ^^^  ^y  crown  ; 
My  gospel  hope,  my  calling's  prize  ; 
My  tree  of  life,  my  paradise  !  " 


1<9 


CHAPTER  THIRTEENTH. 


ON  THE  LOVE  OF  OUR  NEIGHBOR  AND  OF  OURSELVES 

We  proceed  now  to  the  consideration,  of  a  subject 
naturally  flowing  out  of  that  of  the  foregoing  chapter, 
viz.,  that  of  love  to  our  neighbor,  and  to  created  and  in- 
ferior beings  in  general.  And  the  first  proposition 
which  we  lay  down  is  this  :  If  our  love  to  God  be  dis- 
interested and  pure,  and  at  the  same  time  exist  in  a  de- 
gree suitable  to  the  object,  viz.,  in  the  highest  degree, 
then  all  other  love,  and  the  love  of  all  other  creatures, 
will  be  entirely  subordinate  to  this,  and  will  exist  only 
m  relation  to  it.  If  we  possess  pure  and  perfect  love  to 
God,  we  shall  perfectly  sympathize  with  him  in  his  love 
towards  whatever  he  has  made  ;  and  shall,  according  to 
our  capacity,  love  just  as  he  does.  Our  love  will  natu- 
rally, and  perhaps  we  may  say  of  necessity,  flow  in  the 
same  channel.  And  whatever  things  he  takes  an  inter- 
est in,  whether  material  or  immaterial,  whether  of 
greater  or  less  consequence,  will  possess  precisely  the 
same  interest  for  us,  so  far  as  we  possess  an  equal  knowl- 
edge of  their  nature  and  an  equal  capacity  of  love.  The 
devout  recollection  of  the  great  Architect  will  impart  a 
degree  of  sacredness  and  value  to  whatever  is  the  work 
of  his  hands.  In  his  woods,  his  rivers,  his  mountains, 
his  burnished  sky,  and  his  boundless  ocean,  we  shall  see 
the  indistinct  reflection  of  himself,  and  join  to  our  per- 
ception of  beauty  in  the  object  a  still  higher  admiration 
of  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  its  Maker.  We  shall  rec- 
ognize, in  the  birds  of  the  air,  in  the  cattle  of  the  ver- 
dant hills,  and  even  in  the  heedless  insect  that  hums 
around   our  path,  the  agency  of  Him    who    doeth   all 


L  iO  ON    THE    LOVE    OF    OUU    NEIGHBOR 

things  well.  And  we  shall  feel  here,  as  in  other  things^ 
that  we  can  never  be  indifferent  to  any  thing  which  our 
heavenly  Father  has  made  and  takes  an  interest  in. 

As  we  rise  in  the  scale  of  beings  to  those  which  have 
a  rational  and  moral  nature,  to  those  who  are  kindred  in 
race,  and  are  perhaps  kindred  by  the  nearer  relationship 
of  family  ties,  we  shall  experience  the  exercise  of  love 
on  the  same  principle.  We  do  not  deny  that  we  shall 
be  susceptible  of  a  natural  love.  We  know  that  wc 
shall  be.  But  what  we  mean  to  say  is,  that  our  love, 
whether  purely  natural,  and  founded  on  the  relations  we 
sustain  to  the  object,  or  whether  an  acquired  love,  and 
resting  wholly  upon  the  deliberate  perception  of  its  ami- 
able qualities,  will  be  perfectly  subordinate  to  the  love  of 
God,  and  will  be  regulated  by  it.  It  would  perhaps  be 
a  concise  expression  of  the  fact  to  say,  whatever  specific 
modifications  our  love  may  assume,  under  the  operation 
of  natural  causes,  that  we  shall  love  all  things  in  and 
FOR  God.  And  if  we  are  required  in  the  first  instance  to 
love  God  with  all  our  heart,  it  does  not  clearly  appear, 
when  we  fulfil  the  divine  requisition,  how  we  can  love 
our  neighbor,  or  any  thing  else,  in  any  other  way  than 
this. 

"But  what  is,"  says  a  certain  writer,  "loving  any 
creature  only  in  and  for  God  ?  It  is,  when  we  love  it 
only  as  it  is  God's  tvork,  itnage,  and  delight ;  when  we 
love  it  merely  as  it  is  God's,  and  belongs  to  him.  This 
is  loving  it  in  God.  And  when  all  that  we  wish,  intend, 
or  do  to  it,  is  done  from  a  love  of  God,  for  the  honor  of 
God,  and  in  conformity  to  the  will  of  God,  this  is  lov- 
ing it  for  God.  This  is  the  one  love,  that  is,  and  must 
be,  the  spirit  of  all  creatures  that  live  united  to  God. 
Now,  this  is  no  speculative  refinement  or  fine-spun  fiction 
of  the  brain ;  but  the  simple  truth,  a  first  law  of  na- 
ture, and  a  necessary  bond  of  union  between  God  and 
the  creature.  The  creature  is  not  in  God,  is  a  stranger 
to  him,  has  lost  the  life  of  God  in  itself,  whenever  its 
love  does  not  thus  begin  and  end  in  God."  * 

*  Lftw's  Spirit  of  Fraver.  Ft.  1.  ch    2. 


AND    OF    OURSELVES.  121 

And  in  this  way,  under  the  great  law  of  supreme  love 
to  God,  we  may  not  only  love,  as  we  ought  to,  our 
friends,  our  relatives,  and  our  fellow-men  universally ; 
but,  under  the  same  law  and  in  the  same  manner,  we 
may  love  ourselves,  and  may  love  and  seek  our  own 
happiness.  God  is  willing  that  we  should.  He  has 
made  us  so  that  we  cannot  do  otherwise.  He  requires 
us  to  do  it.  Bat  what  is  our  happiness  ?  It  is,  to  love 
God  with  all  our  heart,  and  to  hold  all  other  love  in 
subordination  ;  or,  what  seems  to  be  the  same  thing,  to 
love  God  supremely,  and  to  exercise  and  measure  all 
other  love  with  a  reference  to  that  supreme  and  perfect 
standard  of  measurement.  It  is,  to  feel  the  full  power  of 
that  divine  attraction  which  silently  draws  us  from  the 
circumference  to  the  centre ;  it  is,  to  experience  the  res- 
toration of  the  broken  bond  of  union  with  the  Divine 
Mind  —  to  be  lost,  as  it  were,  in  the  great  ocean  of  the 
infinite  fulness.  In  other  words,  our  happiness  is,  to  re- 
nounce ourselves  entirely,  in  order  that  God,  in  whom 
alone  is  all  goodness,  may  resume  that  throne  in  the 
heart  from  which  he  has  been  banished.  And  accord- 
ingly, we  love  ourselves  and  our  own  happiness,  even  our 
frail  bodies  as  well  as  our  immortal  souls,  because  God 
made  us ;  because  he  takes  care  of  us,  and  desires  our 
happiness,  and  recognizes  the  propriety  of  our  exercising 
the  same  desire ;  because  he  has  designed  us,  under  the 
operations  of  his  grace,  to  be  mirrors  of  his  own  image 
and  the  temples  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and  not  because  we 
have  a  desire,  or  could  for  a  moment  have  a  desire,  a  pur- 
pose, or  a  love,  adverse  to  or  even  not  coincident  with 
his.  So  that  all  subordinate  love  of  his  creatures, 
whether  it  have  relation  to  ourselves  or  others,  may 
truly  and  properly  resolve  itself  into  the  love  of  God. 

(1.)  In  connection  with  what  has  been  said,  we  may 
properly  make  one  or  two  remarks.  The  first  is,  that 
this  doctrine  makes  the  exercise  of  love  to  our  neighbors, 
in  the  same  degree  in  which  we  love  ourselves,  an  easy 
thmg.  We  love  ourselves  only  as  we  Icve  God.  In 
other  words,  if  we  love  God  with  perfect  love,  the  love 
11 


122         ON  THE  LOVE  OF  OUR  NEIGHBOR 

of  ourselves  will  be  subordinated  and  restricted  by  the 
controlling  desire,  that  God  may  be  glorified  in  us. 
We  can  seek  nothing,  desire  nothing,  love  nothing,  for 
ourselves,  but  what  is  subordinate  to  and  has  a  tendency 
to  God's  glory  ;  so  that  the  love  of  self,  whatever  it 
may  be,  is  merged  and  purified  in  the  encircling  and  ab- 
sorbing love  of  God.  The  love  of  our  neighbor  is  prop- 
erly measured,  on  the  principles  of  the  Scriptures,  by  the 
love  of  ourselves ;  and  as  we  can  love  ourselves  only  in 
subordination  to  God's  will  and  glory,  so  we  can  love 
our  neighbor  only  in  the  same  manner  and  the  same  de- 
gree. In  other  words,  both  the  love  of  ourselves  and  ot 
our  neighbor  are  only  rills  and  drops  from  the  mighty 
waters  of  love  to  God.  And  on  the  supposition  that  we 
are  filled  with  the  love  of  God,  the  love  of  our  neighbor 
flows  out  from  the  great  fountain  of  divine  love,  in  the 
various  channels  and  in  the  degree  which  God  chooses, 
as  easily  and  as  naturally  as  a  stream  flows  from  its  lake 
in  the  mountains  over  the  meadows  and  valleys  below. 
There  is  no  need  of  eff"ort.  Only  let  God,  in  his  provi- 
dence, furnish  the  occasion,  and  in  a  moment  the  heart 
will  open,  and  the  streams  will  gush  out.  Hence  the 
remarks  which  are  found  in  various  places  of  the  wri- 
tings of  Augustine,  Thauler,  and  Fenelon,  to  this  efl'ect, 
(and  some  eminent  theologians  of  this  country  appear 
decidedly  to  favor  this  view,)  that  the  love  of  God  is  ca- 
pable of  animating  and  regulating  all  those  afl!"ections 
which  we  owe  to  his  creatures  ;  that  the  true  manner  of 
loving  our  neighbor  is  to  love  him  in  and  for  God ;  ani 
that  we  never  love  him  so  purely  and  so  much,  as  when 
we  love  him  in  this  way. 

(2.)  We  observe,  further,  that  the  love  of  our  neigh- 
bor, flowing  from  this  divine  source,  and  equalling  in 
degree  the  love  of  ourselves,  meets  and  adapts  itself  with 
a  wonderful  flexibility  to  all  the  ordinary  occasions  and 
demands  of  life.  It  leads  us  to  the  humble  residences 
of  the  poor  and  the  chambers  of  the  sick.  And  while 
it  sympathizes  in  the  sufl'erings,  it  also  rejoices  in  the 
consolations,  of  others,  just   as  it  would    in    its    own. 


AND    OF    OURSELVES.  123 

'■Such  souls,"  says  Fenelon,  "as  are  really  detached 
from  themselves,  like  the  saints  in  heaven,  regard  the 
mercies  distributed  to  others  with  the  same  complacency 
as  those  they  receive  themselves ;  for,  esteeming  them- 
selves as  nothing,  they  love  the  good  pleasure  of  God, 
the  riches  of  his  grace,  and  the  glory  he  derives  from  the 
sanctification  of  others,  as  much  as  that  which  he  de- 
rives from  them.  All  is  then  equal,  for  the  personal  self, 
or  ME,  is  lost.  The  me  is  no  more  me  [that  is,  relatively 
to  the  exercise  of  the  affections  on  their  appropriate  oc- 
casions] than  another  person.  It  is  God  alone  that  is 
ALL  IN  ALL.  It  is  God  wliom  they  love  and  admire  ; 
and  who,  in  the  exercise  of  this  disinterested  or  pure  love, 
causes  all  the  joy  of  their  hearts." 

(3.)  We  remark,  again,  that,  on  the  principles  which 
have  been  laid  down,  we  see  how  we  may  fulfil  the 
command  of  our  Savior  to  love  our  enemies,  to  bless  them 
that  curse  us,  and  to  do  good  to  them  that  hate  and  per 
secute  us.  Instead  of  being  a  very  difficult  thing,  as  is 
commonly  supposed,  and  as  it  would  undoubtedly  be  on 
natural  principles,  it  becomes  easy ;  because,  in  tlie  lan- 
guage of  Francis  de  Sales,  "  We  cannot  love  God  as 
we  ought,  without  adopting  his  sentiments,  and  loving 
WHAT  HE  loves."  Now,  WO  kuow  that  God  loves  those 
who  do  not  love  him.  He  loved  us,  even  when  we 
were  his  enemies.  He  so  loved  a  rebellious  and  disobe- 
dient world,  as  to  give  his  Son  to  die  for  it.  And  if  we 
are  in  the  same  spirit,  loving  only  what  he  loves  and 
hating  what  he  hates,  we  shall  find  no  difficulty  in  lov- 
ing our  enemies,  and  in  praying  for  those  who  "despite- 
fully  entreat  us."  No  matter  how  unlovely  they  may 
be  in  themselves,  no  matter  how  cruel  and  unjust  their 
treatment  may  be  to  us;  the  consideration,  that  our 
heavenly  Father  loves  them  and  requires  us  to  love  them, 
lays  all  things  even,  and  opens  the  full  channels  of  the 
heart,  as  if  there  were  no  obstacles  existing. 

Finally,  when  we  love  our  fellow-men  in  this  way, 
we  love  with  a  perseverance  and  constancy  which  could 
not  be  realized  under  other  circumstances.     Our  love  is 


124   LOVE  OF  OUR  NEIGHBOR  AND  OF  OURSELVES. 

not  subject  to  those  breaks  and  variations  which  char- 
acterize it  when  it  is  based  upon  the  uncertainties  of  the 
creature,  instead  of  the  immutability  of  the  divine  will. 
On  the  contrary,  it  continually  flows  on  and  flows  on, 
whether  it  meets  with  any  favorable  return  or  not,  par- 
taking, in  no  small  measure,  of  the  unchangeableness  of 
the  divine  nature, 


125 


CHAPTER    FOURTEENTH. 


ON    THE    DISTINCTION    BETWEEN   LOVE   AND    JOY. 


It  would  seem,  from  the  views  which  have  been  ta- 
ken, that  PERFECT  LOVE  is  to  be  regarded,  on  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  gospel,  as  essentially  the  same  thing,  or 
rather  as  precisely  the  same  thing,  with  sanctification 
or  HOLINESS.  Certain  it  is,  that  those  who  are  perfected 
in  love,  whatever  may  be  their  infirmities  and  errors,  and 
however  important  and  proper  it  may  be  for  them  to 
make  constant  application  to  the  blood  of  the  atonement, 
both  for  the  forgiveness  of  the  infirmities  of  the  present 
and  of  the  infirmities  and  transgressions  of  the  past,  are 
spoken  of  and  are  treated,  in  the  New  Testament,  as 
accepted,  sanctified,  or  holy  persons.  Those,  therefore, 
who  are  truly  and  without  any  self-interested  reflections 
seeking  perfection  of  love,  may  very  properly  be  con- 
sidered as  seeking  holiness.  But  it  is  proper  to  say  here, 
that  some  degree  of  observation  and  inquiry  has  given 
occasion  to  the  remark,  that  some  persons,  who  are  truly 
seeking  the  sanctifying  power  of  assured  faith  and  per- 
fected love,  and  who  suppose  that  they  are  seeking  it  in 
the  right  way,  have  nevertheless  committed  the  danger- 
ous error  of  confounding  joy  with  love  ;  and  are  in  fact, 
without  being  fully  aware  of  it,  seeking  after  a  state  of 
highly  joyful  and  rapturous  excitement,  instead  of  true 
love.  It  is  to  some  mistake  of  this  kind  that  the  pious 
Lady  Maxwell  probably  has  reference,  when  she  says, 
"  The  Lord  has  taught  me  that  it  is  by  faith,  and  not 
JOY,  I  must  live."  It  seems  to  me,  therefore,  important, 
.n  order  to  understand  the  true  foundation  of  the  Chris- 
11  * 


126  ON    THE    DISTINCTION 

tian  life,  to  draw  the  distinction  between  joy  and  love. 
This  is  the  object  of  the  present  chapter. 

(1.)  In  endeavoring  to  point  out  the  distinction  be- 
tween joy  and  love,  which,  it  must  be  admitted,  cannot 
be  satisfactorily  done  without  careful  consideration,  we 
proceed  to  remark,  in  the  first  place,  that  the  distinction 
is  very  properly  made,  in  philosophical  writers,  between 
emotions  and  desires;  and  that  joy  is  to  be  regarded  as 
an  emotion  rather  than  a  desire.  Regarded  as  an  emo- 
tive state  of  the  mind,  joy,  like  the  emotions  generally, 
naturally  terminates  in  itself;  that  is  to  say,  a  person 
may  be  the  subject  of  highly- raised  joyful  emotions,  and 
at  the  same  time  may  remain  inactive.  He  may  be 
wholly  occupied  with  the  ecstatic  movement  of  his  own 
feelings,  and  be  destitute  of  thought,  feeling,  and  action 
for  others.  But  the  leading  characteristic  of  love  —  that 
in  particular  which  distinguishes  it  from  mere  joy —  is  the 
element  of  desire.  It  is  the  nature  of  love,  as  it  is  the 
nature  of  every  thing  else  of  which  desire  is  the  promi- 
nent element,  not  to  stop  or  terminate  in  itself,  but  to 
lead  to  something  else.  And  furthermore  love,  like 
other  benevolent  affections,  is  not  only  active  in  relation 
to  others,  but  is  active  for  the  good  of  others.  We  have 
here,  therefore,  an  important  ground  of  distinction.  If 
Christians  were  filled  with  joyful  feelings  merely,  they 
might,  being  destitute  of  other  principles  of  action,  re- 
main slothful  at  their  own  firesides,  and  see  the  world 
perish  in  their  sins.  But  love,  on  the  contrary,  is 
sweetly  and  powerfully  impulsive ;  and  constrains  us, 
especially  if  it  be  strong,  to  do  good  in  every  possible 
way  to  our  fellow-men.  And  hence  the  expression  of 
the  apostle.  •'  the  love  of  Christ  constraineth  us." 

(2.)  In  the  second  place,  joy  may  be  founded  on 
selfish  considerations.  But  love,  certainly  that  which 
God  recognizes  and  requires,  —  that  disinterested  or  pure 
love  of  which  we  have  already  given  some  account,  — is 
always  benevolent.  It  is  sometimes  the  case,  in  conse 
quence  of  a  wrong  position  of  our  minds,  that  we  may 
even  rejoice  in  the  evil  or  suffering  of  others.     We  may 


BETWEEN    LOVE    AND    JOY,  127 

be  very  well  pleased,  very  happy,  when  we  see  them 
perplexed,  misrepresented,  and  injured.  But  it  does  not 
appear  how  we  can  at  such  times  be  said  to  love  them. 
Joy,  therefore,  may  go  where  love  will  not  follow.  Joy 
may  have  a  field  of  action  which  love  has  not.  Accord- 
ingly, we  can  conceive  of  the  devils  rejoicing.  They 
may  rejoice,  and  undoubtedly  do  rejoice,  in  the  misery  of 
each  other.  It  is  their  nature.  Evil  is  their  good.  But 
we  cannot  conceive  how  they  can  love. 

(3.)  We  may  remark,  in  the  third  place,  that  in  love 
there  is  always  something  elevating,  ennobling,  and  pu- 
rifying to  the  soul.  It  is  the  great  source  and  fountain 
of  generous  and  exalted  actions.  It  is  the  secret  and 
powerful  spring  of  religious  magnanimity,  of  holy  hero- 
ism. But  the  tendency  of  joy  is,  in  itself  considered, 
and  independently  of  other  principles,  to  create  in  the 
mind  a  species  of  spiritual  sensuality.  It  leads  the  soul 
'at  least  such  is  its  tendency,  unless  accompanied  by 
other  principles)  to  sit  quietly  and  inactively  in  the  easy 
chair  of  its  own  gratification.  It  thinks  too  much  of 
itself,  to  have  the  power  of  thinking  much  of  others.  Its 
tendency,  therefore,  in  itself  considered,  and  independ- 
ently of  other  principles  of  actio7i,  is  to  turn  the  mind  off 
."rom  the  highest  good.  It  may  even  have  the  effect 
(and  it  is  believed  that  the  experience  of  some  Chris- 
tians on  this  point  will  confirm  the  statement)  to  remove 
the  mind,  in  some  degree,  from  God  himself,  and  from 
Christ,  and  from  the  Holy  Ghost,  upon  whom  it  ought 
always  to  rest.  And  this,  certainly,  is  a  result  whicli 
is  greatly  to  be  deplored. 

(4.)  It  will  be  recollected,  m  the  fourth  place,  that 
a  leading  characteristic  of  love,  as  already  has  been  re- 
marked, is  DESIRE  ;  a  state  of  mind  which  may  very 
properly  be  distinguished  from  an  emotion.  Accordingly, 
we  can  never  love  an  object,  without  desiring  the  good  of 
that  object.  In  the  exercise  of  love,  we  carefully  notice 
those  occasions  on  which  we  may  have  it  in  our  power  to 
promote  the  good  or  happiness  of  the  beloved  object; 
and  are  faithful  to  improvt    them.     When  our  lov^e  is 


128  ON    THE    DISTINCTION 

decided  and  strong,  we  are  oftentimes  much  more  solicit- 
ous  to  secure  the  welfare  and  happiness  of  the  beloved 
person  than  our  own.  The  state  of  mind,  as  already 
intimated,  is  not  quiescent,  but  impulsive :  it  impels  to 
action  ;  and  not  to  selfish,  but  benevolent  action.  Ob- 
serve the  love  of  a  parent  to  a  child.  Perhaps  the  child 
may  be  deformed  in  body  or  mind,  or  both.  There  may 
be  nothing  especially  attractive  either  in  its  person,  con- 
duct, or  prospects ;  and  yet  the  heart  of  the  parent 
constantly  goes  out  towards  the  child  in  acts  of  kind- 
ness. And  the  same  may  be  observed,  in  a  multitude  of 
cases,  on  the  part  of  the  child  towards  the  parent.  Some 
parents  are  brutish  and  cruel  in  their  conduct ;  their 
hearts  are  hardened,  perhaps,  by  intemperance  ;  their  nat- 
ural affections  are  thus  blunted  ; — but  their  children,  not- 
withstanding this,  love  them,  Avatch  over  them,  and  do 
a  multitude  of  acts  which  could  result  only  from  love. 
It  is  in  accordance  with  these  views,  that  we  find  men- 
tion in  Scripture  of  those  who  received  the  word  of  God 
with  joy,  and  yet  soon  withered  away.  And  why  ? 
Because,  with  all  their  joy,  they  had  not  the  abiding  root 
of  I.OVE.  They  were  the  subjects  of  a  temporary  pleas- 
urable excitement,  but  had  never  experienced  a  new 
direction  and  bent  of  the  heart.  True  love,  clinging  to 
the  object  of  the  affections,  is  permanent  ;  joy  is  often 
evanescent. 

(5.)  We  remark,  farther,  as  a  natural  consequence 
of  what  has  been  said,  that  the  love  of  God,  as  it  exists 
in  the  minds  of  those  who  are  his  devoted  followers,  al- 
ways inquires  after  his  will.  It  does  not  ask  after  ease, 
pleasure,  reward  ;  nor,  on  the  other  hand,  does  it  ask 
after  trial,  suffering,  and  contempt;  it  merely  asks  after 
the  Father*is  will.  Its  language  is  that  of  the  Savior, 
when  he  says,  "  Lo,  I  come  to  do  thy  will,  O  God  !  '* 
And  as,  in  common  life,  we  think  much  of  a  person  that 
IS  beloved,  and  desire  his  favor  and  approbation,  so,  in 
regard  to  God,  if  we  truly  love  him,  he  will  be  verv 
much  in  our  thoughts,  and  his  approbation  and  favor  will 
be  to  us  of  great  price.     If  he  is  the  highest  object  of  oui 


BETWEEN    LOV^E    AND    JOY.  129 

love,  wt.  shall  desire  no  higher  happiness  than  that  ol 
constant  communion  with  him,  and  of  being  always  uni- 
ted to  him  by  oneness  of  will.  Thus  we  may  be  said  to 
be  in  him,  and  he  in  us ;  and  1  hat  eternal  rest  of  the  soul, 
which  constitutes  the  true  heaven,  will  be  commenced 
here.  Then  we  shall  have  the  true  joy  —  calm,  deep, 
unchangeable.  Love  goes  before;  joy  comes  after. 
Love  is  the  principle  of  action  ;  joy  is  the  reward.  In 
the  spiritual  tree  of  life,  love  is  the  nutritive  sap,  the  per- 
meating and  invigorating  power,  that  flows  through  the 
body  and  the  soul  of  man  ;  joy  is  one  of  its  beautiful 
fruits  and  flowers.  If,  therefore,  love  is  strong,  joy  will 
never  fail  us  ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  if  love  is  wanting, 
there  can  be  no  joy,  except  that  joy  of  the  world  which 
worketh  death. 

in  view  of  what  has  been  said,  one  or  two  remarks 
may  be  made.  And  the  first  is,  if  we  are  truly  sancti- 
fied to  the  Lord,  —  in  other  words,  if  we  love  God  with  all 
our  hearts,  — our  course  as  Christians  will  be  a  consistent 
and  stable  one.  Our  rule  of  action  will  be  the  will  of 
God ;  our  principle  of  action  will  be  the  love  of  God. 
And  as  the  will  of  God  is  fixed,  and  is  made  known  to 
us  in  various  ways,  especially  in  his  holy  Word,  we  shall 
endeavor  to  fulfil  it  at  all  times  humbly  and  faithfullyf 
without  regard  to  those  temporary  and  changing  feelings 
which  too  often  perplex  the  religious  life. 

It  may  be  remarked,  further,  in  conclusion,  that  in  the 
state  of  mind  which  has  been  spoken  of,  we  shall  not 
fail  of  any  consolation  which  is  needful  for  us.  It  be- 
longs to  the  very  nature  of  desire,  that,  when  the  desire 
is  gratified,  we  are  more  or  less  happy.  Accordingly,  in 
exercising  love  to  God,  the  leading  element  of  which  is 
desire,  and  in  doing  and  suffering  his  holy  will,  in  ac- 
cordance with  such  desire,  we  cannot  be  otherwise  than 
happy  in  a  considerabigp^degree.  If  we  seek  joy  or  hap- 
piness as  an  ultimate  object,  we  cannot  fail,  on  religious 
principles,  to  miss  of  it.  If,  under  the  promptings  of 
love,  we  seek  merely  to  do  and  suffer  the  will  of  God, 
we  shall  certainly,  except  in  those  cases  where  God,  by 


130  DISTINCTION     BKTWEKN    LOVE     AND    JOY. 

a  special  act  of  sovereignty,  withdraws  consolation  in 
order  to  try  our  faith,  possess  all  that  consolation  which 
will  be  needful.  And  in  the  case  which  has  just  been 
mentioned,  if  our  faith,  still  trusting  in  the  beloved  ob- 
iect,  sustains  the  terrible  shock  of  apparent  desertion,  (as 
when  our  Savior  exclaimed,  "  My  God,  my  God,  why 
.last  thou  forsaken  me !  ")  we  shall  soon  find  abundant 
consolation  ret  irning. 


131 


CHAPTER   FIFTEENTH. 


ON  THE  DISTINCTION  BETWEEN   NATURAL  A.\U 
SPIRITUAL  JOY. 

We  have  3ndeavorecl,  in  the  preceding  chapter,  to  poim 
out  the  distinction  between  love  and  joy  ;  —  a  distinction 
not  very  obvious  at  first  sight,  but  which  really  exists, 
and  is  important  to  be  made.  But  it  is  proper  to  add 
here,  that  the  views  of  the  chapter  may  be  somewhat 
aided,  and  perhaps  modified  in  their  practical  application, 
in  connection  with  a  distinction,  which  yet  remains  to 
be  made,  and  which  may  very  properly  be  made,  between 
NATURAL  joy  and  spiritual  joy.  It  is  true  that  gracious 
or  spiritual  joy  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  love,  any 
more  than  natural  joy  is.  In  both  cases,  the  distinction 
between  love  and  joy  is  a  real  and  permanent  one.  But 
then  there  remains  the  additional  view,  which  will  help 
to  throw  further  light  upon  the  subject  before  us,  that 
gracious  or  holy  joy  differs,  in  some  of  its  aspects,  from 
natural  joy. 

We  proceed  then  to  remark,  in  the  first  place,  that 
natural  joy  and  spiritual  joy  are  different  in  their  origin. 
Natural  joy,  which  is  sometimes  denominated  "  the  joy 
of  the  world,"  arises  from  natural  causes  ;  from  physical 
or  worldly  good  ;  from  health,  property,  worldly  influ- 
ence, the  indulgences  of  sense  ;  from  such  causes,  in  a 
word,  as  we  might  suppose  to  exist,  and  to  produce  joy 
within  us,  if  we  had  no  perception  of  a  God,  and  no 
knowledge  of  religion.  Spiritual  or  gracious  joy,  which 
is  spiritual  or  gracious  in  its  origin,  arises  from  the  knowl- 
edge of  spiritual  objects,  from  the  discharge  of  spiritual 
or  religious  duties,  and  from  the  inspiring  agency  of  tho 


132 


ON    THE    DISTINCTION    BETWEEN 


Holy  Ghost.     And  hence  it  is  sometimes  denominated 
the  "joy  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 

(2^)  Again,  natural  joy,  arising  from  natural  princi- 
ples, and  unchecked  and  unregulated  by  gracious  influ- 
ences, has  oftentimes  a  very  powerful  effect  upon  the 
physical  system.  And  it  is  possible,  and  even  probable 
that  this  may  sometimes  be  the  case  with  true  spiritua 
or  gracious  joy  ;  especially  when  the  emotion  is  strong 
and  immediately  successive  to  a  painfully  depressed  and 
suffering  state  of  mind.  And  it  is  not  unreasonable  to 
suppose  that,  in  some  cases,  when  powerful  physical 
results  are  found  to  exist,  there  may  be  a  union  or 
combination  of  natural  and  gracious  em.otion.  But  it  is 
nevertheless  true,  that  the  natural  tendency  of  spiritual 
joy,  IN  ITSELF  CONSIDERED,  aud  independently  of  any  pe- 
;uliar  circiwistances,  is,  in  a  remarkable  degree,  and 
much  more  so  than  that  of  mere  natural  joy,  to  produce 
a.  tranquillizing  effect  upon  the  mind,  and  through  the 
mind  upon  the  physical  system,  and  to  promote  sound- 
ness and  regularity  of  action  in  both. 

(3.)  We  observe,  in  the  third  place,  that  there  is  a 
tendency  in  natural  joy,  especially  when  it  is  strong,  to 
perplex  the  action  of  the  perceptive  and  discriminating  or 
judging  powers.  This  is  true  of  the  natural  emotions 
generally,  when  they  are  in  an  excited  state.  Any  con- 
siderable agitation  in  that  portion  of  our  sensitive  nature, 
which  is  termed  the  e?notio7is,  is  commonly  understood 
to  be  unfavorable  to  correct  perception  and  judgment. 
A  man,  for  instance,  who  is  agitated  with  emotions  ot 
displeasure,  of  jealousy,  or  of  fear,  will  find  it  difficult, 
while  remaining  in  such  state  of  agitation,  to  go  through 
successfully  with  an  intricate  train  of  mathematical  or 
other  reasoning.  And  the  result  will  be  the  same  if  he 
IS  considerably  agitated  with  emotions  of  natural  pleas- 
ure or  joy.  But  true  spiritual  joy,  when  undisturbed  by 
unfavorable  influences  from  the  physical  system,  and  un- 
mixed with  natural  joy,  leaves  the  mind  tranquil,  and 
the  perceptive  and  discriminating  faculties  clear  aud  ef- 


NATURAL    AND    SPIRlfirAL    JOY.  133 

fective  in  the  highest  degree.  And  these  views  seem  to 
be  confirmed  by  a  consideration  of  the  state  of  holy  be- 
ings. All  holy  beings,  there  can  be  no  doubt,  experi- 
ence true  joy  of  heart ;  but  in  our  reflections  on  their 
mental  character  and  operations,  it  is  certain  that  we 
never  conceive  of  them  as  having  their  minds  clouded, 
and  their  perceptive  powers  blunted,  by  excessive  emo- 
tion. The  natural  feelings,  which  are  regulated  with 
difficulty,  continually  run  into  excess  ;  but  this  is  never 
the  :ase  with  those  truly  religious  or  gracious  feelings 
which  are  really  inspired  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  And 
therefore,  when  it  is  said  of  the  disciples,  on  a  certain 
occasion,  (Luke  xxiv.  41,)  that  they  "  believed  not  for 
JOY,"  it  is  probable  that  they  experienced  an  excitement 
and  confusion  of  mind,  resulting  from  a  mixture  of  nat- 
ural joy  with  emotions  of  a  holy  kind. 

(4.)  It  remains  to  be  remarked,  further,  that  natural 
joy  is  often  attended  with  certain  incidental  evils,  which 
are  not  likely  to  exist  in  connection  with  gracious  or 
holy  joy;  such  as  an  undue  hilarity  of  spirit,  a  sort  of 
unreflecting  and  too  youthful  levity  and  flightiness  of 
thought  and  manner,  unsuitable  to  our  age  or  our  situa- 
tion in  life  :  what  George  Fox,  in  speaking  of  some 
Christians  in  his  day,  expressively  describes  as  "  being 
UP  IN  THE  AIRY  MIND."  Ou  the  othcr  hand,  holy  joy, 
when  it  is  free  from  any  mixture  and  perversion  of  nat- 
ural joy,  is  deliberately  and  deeply  serious.  When  nat- 
ural joy  is  superadded,  or  is  superinduced  upon  a  truly 
spiritual  or  gracious  experience,  and  gives  a  character  to 
our  actions,  it  is  possible  that  there  ma^'"  be  sometimes 
results  bordering  upon  those  airy  and  flighty  manifesta- 
tions which  have  been  mentioned  ;  but  whenever  this 
is  the  case,  it  is  certain  that  these  results  do  not  flow 
from  any  state  of  mind  which  is  truly  the  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Religious  or  sanctified  joy,  always  bear- 
ing the  stamp  of  deliberation  and  wisdom,  always  in 
keeping  with  that  seriousness  which  naturally  flows  out 
of  the  truths  and  the  responsibilities  of  religion,  is  en- 
tirelv  suited  to  the  objects  and  occasions  on  which  it 
12 


l34  ON    THE    DISTINCTION   BETWEEN 

arises;  so  as  to  leave  in  the  mind  both  the  appearance 
and  the  fact  of  perfect  tranquillity  —  such  as  there  is  in 
God  himself,  who  may  be  said  to  be  always  happy,  al- 
ways joyful,  and  yet  to  be  always  serious  and  unaltera- 
bly tranquil.  This  joy  seems  to  me  to  be  often  expressed 
in  the  Scriptures  by  the  word  peace  ;  and  is  probably 
the  precise  state  of  mind,  the  delightful  legacy  of  all  true 
Christians,  which  the  Savior  had  in  view  when  he  said 
to  his  disciples,  "  Peace  I  leave  with  you ;  my  peace  I 
give  unto  you."  Such  a  joy  may  be  strong:  in  the 
language  of  Scripture,  it  may  be  "unspeakable  and  full 
of  glory  :  "  but  it  is  always  calm  and  peaceful ;  and  in 
this  respect  is  entirely  different  from  that  excited  and  un- 
profitable intoxication  of  spirit,  which  is  sometimes  found 
to  be  experienced,  and  which  so  possesses  and  agitates 
the  mind,  that  the  will  of  God,  and  our  duty,  cannot  be 
clearly  perceived. 

Finally^  holy  joy,  being  founded  in  the  perception  of 
the  character,  attributes,  and  will  of  God,  is  not  neces- 
sarily liable  to  changes.  He  who  rejoices  in  God  to- 
day, having  a  correct  view  of  his  character  and  will,  will 
never  find  good  reason  to  do  otherwise  than  rejoice  in 
that  character  and  will,  in  all  coming  time ;  and  simply 
because  God,  in  his  character  and  his  will,  is  always  the 
same.  In  all  afflictions  and  trials,  of  whatever  nature, 
there  will  still  remain  the  basis  of  a  serene  and  pure  joy 
in  the  depths  of  the  heart.  But  natural  joy,  being 
founded  upon  natural  objects,  which  are  frail,  uncertain, 
and  full  of  imperfection,  necessarily  partakes  of  the  un- 
certainty and  imperfect  nature  of  its  causes.  And  hence 
it  is  said,  in  the  portion  of  Scripture  already  referred  to, 
"They  on  the  rock  are  they  which,  when  they  hear, 
receive  the  word  with  joy  ;  "  (that  is,  with  natural  joy,  as 
we  are  probably  to  understand  it ;)  "  and  these  have  no 
root ;  which  for  a  while  believe,  and  in  time  of  tempta- 
tion fall  away.''  So  that  holy  or  spiritual  joy  may  be 
compared  to  the  sun,  which  always  shines  with  its  pure 
and  beautiful  light,  even  when  wrapped  in  clouds ;  but 
natural  joy  i&  like  a  meteor,  gleaming  for  a  moment,  and 


NATURAL    AND    SPIRITUAL    JOY.  135 

then  extinguished  ;  rekindled  again  after  a  time,  but  des- 
tined soon  and  suddenly  to  sink  in  still  greater  darkness. 
In  connection  with  the  marks,  which  thus  separate 
natural  from  spiritual  joy,  we  observe,  in  conclusion,  that 
spiritual  joy,  being  a  truly  Christian  grace,  is  exceedingly 
valuable  and  desirable ;  and  truly  blessed  is  he  who 
possesses  that  state  of  mind  which  is  properly  called 
"joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost."  It  is  true,  it  is  a  grace  both 
subsequent  in  time  and  inferior  in  rank  to  love,  which 
ought  to  be  sought  first,  as  the  reigning  and  controlling 
principle  of  the  soul.  But  it  is,  nevertheless,  in  its  ap- 
propriate time  and  place,  one  of  the  precious  gifts  and 
graces  of  God.  And  hence  the  various  expressions  and 
commands,  having  a  relation  to  this  cheering  state  of 
mind,  which  are  found  in  the  Bible.  "  Rejoice  in  tho 
Lord,  O  ye  righteous ;  for  praise  is  comely  for  the  up- 
right." Ps.  xxxiii.  1.  "But  rejoice,  inasmuch  as  ye  are 
partakers  of  Christ's  suiferings  ;  that  when  his  glory 
shall  be  revealed,  ye  may  be  glad  also  with  exceeding 
joy."  1  Peter  iv.  13.  "  These  things  have  I  spoken 
unto  you,  that  my  joy  might  remain  in  you,  and  that 
your  joy  might  be  full."  John  xv.  11.  "  Rejoice  ever- 
more ;  pray  without  ceasing  ;  in  every  thing  give 
thanks ;  for  this  is  the  will  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  con- 
cerning you."    1  Thess.  v.   16 — 18. 


ILLUSTRATION    OF    THE    SUBJECT    FROM    PERSONAL 
EXPERIENCE. 

[In  the  following  extract  from  the  personal  experience  of  a  pious  per- 
son  of  the  Baptist  church,  now  no  longer  living,  the  reader  will  notice 
an  exemplification  of  that  tendency  to  seek  for  joyous  emotion  which  is 
so  common,  and  oftentimes  so  injurious.] 

"  I  trust  I  was  enabled  deliberately,  not  only  in  view 
of  sickness  and  death,  but  of  life  and  health,  to  make  an 
unreserved  consecration  of  my  all  to  Christ,  and  to  feel 
that,  in  whatever  situation  I  might  be,  '  Holiness  to  the 
Lord  '  must  henceforth  be  my  motto.    I  could  now  yield 


136 


ON    THE    DISTINCTION    BETWEEN 


myself  a  willing  subject  to  the  sanctifying  grace  of  God, 
believing  he  would  work  in  me  according  to  the  good 
pleasure  of  his  will.  Soon  a  heavenly  calm  possessed 
my  mind,  a  sense  of  the  divine  glory  surrounded  me 
and  my  whole  soul  seemed  in  sweet  harmony  with  the 
holiness  of  God.  There  were  no  rapturous  emotions  ; 
but  I  felt 

'  The  sacred  awe  that  dares  not  move, 
And  all  the   silent  heaven  of  love.' 

•'  How  easy  now  seemed  the  divine  requirement,  to  love 
him  with  all  the  heart,  and  my  neighbor  as  myself!  I 
felt  a  peculiar  tenderness  of  conscience,  and  feared  noth- 
ing but  to  offend  my  Savior.  Being  still  feeble  in  body, 
I  could  not  endure  strong  mental  exercises ;  and  as  the 
change  in  my  feelings  was  not  sudden,  or  characterized 
by  strong  emotions,  I  was  soon  tempted  to  doubt  whether 
it  was  really  what  I  had  been  seeking  for.  I  prayed 
earnestly  for  a  fulness  op  joy,  and  an  undoubted  evi- 
dence ;  but  the  more  I  sought  for  this,  the  less  my  evi- 
dence appeared,  until  I  was  willing  to  leave  all  with 
God,  to  give  either  a  crumh  or  a  full  meal.  My  peace 
then  returned,  and,  blessed  be  God  !  it  has  continued,  like 
a  river,  to  flow  broader  and  deeper  to  the  present  time. 

"  Never  before  did  I  feel  so  much  my  entire  dependence 
on  all-sufficient  grace,  and  such  a  confidence  that  it 
would  be  given  in  every  time  of  need.  Like  a  little  child 
I  have  looked  into  the  13ible  for  instruction,  and,  O,  what 
an  inexpressible  glory  has  beamed  therefrom !  A  new 
Iflessedness  has  appeared  while  receiving  Christ  as  a 
Savior  from  all  sin  —  a  present  Savior,  a  full  Savior. 
How  glorious  the  consideration  to  one  who  has  all  her 
life  in  some  degree  been  subject  to  bondage  !  Truly  I 
can  now  say,  the  Holj''  Spirit  has  led  me  into  the  truth, 
and  the  truth  has  made  me  free.  I  no  longer  feel  like  a 
wanderer,  but  like  a  child  at  home.  My  weary  soul  now 
rests  in  Christ,  and  finds  '  his  yoke  easy,  and  his  burden 
.ight.'  With  entire  confidence  can  I  now  commit  all 
my  interests,  temporal  and  spiritual,  into  his  hands,  and 


NATURAL    AND    SPIRITUAL    JOY.  l37 

feel  that  they  are  safe.  My  greatest  desire  is  to  know 
and  do  the  will  of  my  heavenly  Father,  and  to  possess 
all  the  mind  of  Christ.  I  feel  deeply  interested  in  the 
progress  of  holiness.  With  all  my  heart  can  I  bid  God- 
speed to  those  who  are  engaged  in  promoting  this  bless- 
ed cause."  * 

'  (jruide  to  Christian  Perfection,  vol.  iii   p.  39. 

12* 


138 


CHAPTER    SIXTEENTH. 

O.N     THE     NATURE    AND    RELATIONS    OF    EMOTIONAL 
EXPERIENCE. 

Some  of  the  remarks  and  positions  in  the  two  last  chap- 
ters seem  to  prepare  the  way  for  a  few  general  observa- 
tions, which  are  of  considerable  practical  importance,  on 
what  may  be  termed  the  emotional  form  of  religious 
experience. 

The  doctrine,  which  we  propose  to  advance  on  tiiis 
somewhat  difficult  subject,  may  be  regarded  as  imply- 
ing the  admission  of  two  things  :  first,  that  the  mind,  in 
some  important  and  true  sense,  is  departmental ;  that  it  ex- 
ists in  the  three  departments  of  the  Intellect,  the  Sensibil- 
ities, and  the  Will ;  and  that  the  emotional  or  emotive 
states  constitute  a  distinct  and  important  subordinate 
division  in  these  departments :  and  second,  that  the 
operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  human  mind  are 
various  ;  that  they  may  embrace  the  whole  of  these 
departments,  reaching  and  controlling  the  whole  mind  ; 
or  tiiat,  under  certain  circumstances,  they  may  stop  either 
at  the  intellectual  department  or  at  the  emotive  division 
of  the  sensitive  department,  producing  certain  important 
results,  but  leaving  others  without  being  realized. 

We  proceed  then  to  remark,  in  the  first  place,  that  it 
is  the  office  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  operate,  on  the  appro- 
priate occasions  of  such  operation,  upon  the  human  in- 
tellect ;  and  especially  by  guiding  it  in  the  perception 
of  the  truth.  The  mode  of  the  Spirit's  operation  upon 
the  intellectual  part,  as  it  is  upon  other  parts  of  the  mind, 
is  in  many  respects  mysterious ;  but  the  ordinary  result 
of  his    influences  is  the  communication  of  truth ;  that 


NATURE  OF  EMOTIONAL  EXPERIENCE.  139 

IS  to  say,  the  soul,  when  it  is  thus  operated  upon,  knows 
spiritually  what  it  did  not  know  before.  And  it  may 
properly  be  added,  that  the  knowledge  which  is  thus 
communicated  will  vary,  both  in  kind  and  degree,  in 
accordance  with  the  nature  of  the  subject  or  facts  to  be 
illustrated,  and  with  the  special  circumstances,  whatever 
they  may  be,  which  render  a  divine  communication 
necessary.  But  it  is  not  ordinarily  to  be  expected  that 
the  operation,  of  which  we  are  now  speaking,  will  stop 
with  the  intellect.  By  an  original  law  of  our  mental 
nature,  the  perception  of  truth,  which  is  the  result  of  an 
intellectual  act,  is  ordinarily  followed  by  an  effect  upon 
that  portion  of  the  mind  which  is  usually  designated  as 
the  emotional  or  emotive  susceptibility ;  a  part  of  the 
mind  which,  as  it  is  subsequent  in  the  time  of  its  action, 
is  sometimes  figuratively  descri^'->'l  "as  being  back  of 
the  intellect."  The  effect  upon  the  emotive  susceptibil- 
ity, resulting  from  an  operation  on  the  intellect,  will  be 
diflerent  at  different  times  and  under  different  circum- 
stances ;  varying  in  nature  and  degree,  according  to  the 
nature  and  degree  of  the  truth  which  is  presented,  and 
also,  in  part,  in  accordance  with  its  own  previous  situa- 
tion at  the  time  of  its  being  affected.  The  truth,  for 
instance,  that  Jesus  Christ  came  to  save  sinners,  will  be 
attended  with  very  pleasant  emotions  in  one  who  feels 
himself  to  be  a  sinner,  and  to  stand  in  need  of  a  Savior ; 
but  will  not  be  likely  to  be  attended  with  any  such  effect 
in  one  with  whom  this  is  not  the  case.  We  can  sup- 
pose, therefore,  notwithstanding  the  general  law  which 
has  just  now  been  specified,  an  operation  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  upon  the  intellect,  which  is  attended  with  no  ben- 
eficial, with  no  sanctifying  and  saving  effect  upon  the 
heart.  Indeed,  there  are  some  cases,  where  the  truth 
which  is  impressed  by  a  divine  operation  upon  the  intel- 
lect is  met  and  rejected,  in  the  sensibilities,  with  feelings 
of  opposition  and  contempt.  But  experience  of  this  na- 
ture, which  meets  with  no  acceptance  beyond  the  intel- 
lect, although  it  may  have  its  origin  intellectually  in  the 
r.peration  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  is  not  regarded  as  religious 


1 40  ON    THE    NATURE    AND    RELATIONS 

experience  ;  and  therefore  it  is  not  necessary  to  dwell 
longer  upon  it  here. 

(II. )  But  let  us  look  at  the  subject  a  little  further.  It 
IS  well  known,  that  there  are  instances  quite  different  from 
those  which  have  just  been  referred  to.  We  will  sup- 
pose, therefore,  the  case  of  a  person  who  is  the  subject 
of  a  divine  operation.  Under  the  influence  of  this  inward 
operation,  he  experiences,  to  a  considerable  extent,  new 
views  of  his  own  situation,  of  his  need  of  a  Savior,  and 
of  the  restoration  of  his  soul  to  God  in  spiritual  union. 
The  operation  which  has  been  experienced,  so  far,  is 
purely  intellectual.  Of  the  necessity  and  value  of  such 
intellectual  influences,  there  can  be  no  doubt ;  but  I 
believe  it  is  generally  conceded  that,  in  themselves 
alone,  they  do  not,  and  cannot,  constitute  religion.  But 
in  addition  to  this,  w-  will  suppose  that  an  effect,  and 
perhaps  a  very  decided  effect,  has  been  experienced  in 
the  emotive  part,  which  in  its  action  is  subsequent  to 
that  of  the  intellect.  The  person  has  very  pleasant  emo- 
tions. The  perception  of  new  truth,  as  we  should  nat- 
urally expect,  gives  him  happiness  ;  and  the  perception 
of  its  relation  to  his  salvation  gives  him  still  more  hap- 
piness. He  is  very  happy.  He  begins  to  speak  a  new 
language.  His  mouth  is  filled  with  praise.  And  others 
praise  the  Lord  on  his  account. 

Bat  has  such  a  person  religion,  as  his  friends  are  very 
desirous  to  believe,  and  are  very  apt  to  declare  ?  He  has 
an  experience,  imdoubtedly.  We  are  willing  to  admit 
that  he  has  a  valuable  experience  —  an  experience  which 
is  naturally  preparatory  to  religion,  and  is  closely  con- 
nected with  it,  and  looks  very  much  like  it.  But  if 
the  experience  stops  here,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  con- 
stitute a  merely  emotional  experience,  and  without  reach- 
ing and  affecting  a  still  more  inward  and  important  part 
of  the  mind,  as  seems  sometimes  to  be  the  case,  "we 
cannot  with  good  reasons  regard  it  as  a  truly  religious 
experience  ;  meaning  by  the  terms  an  experience  which 
meets  the  expectations  and  the  demands  of  God,  and 
which  is  saving.     It  is  valuable  ;  it  is  encouraging  ;  it 


OF  EMOTIONAL  EXPERIENCE.  14J 

IS  closely  connected  with  religion  ;  but  it  is  not  the  thing 
itself.  We  may  perhaps  designate  it  as  a  preparative  or 
incident  to  religion  without  being  religion  ;  and  although 
we  may  thank  the  Lord  for  what  it  is,  especially  in  its 
hopeful  relations,  it  is  still  true,  that  the  essential  and 
indispensable  element  of  the  inward  life  is  not  there. 

(III.)  There  are  mental  susceptibilities,  which,  on 
account  of  their  being  subsequent  in  the  time  of  their 
action,  may  be  described  as  lying  back  of  the  emotive 
part  of  the  mind,  as  truly  as  the  emotions  can  be  said 
to  lie  back  of  the  intellectual  part.  In  making  this 
remark,  we  have  especial  reference  to  the  desires  in  their 
various  modifications  —  particularly  those  modifications 
which  are  denominated  the  affections,  —  and  to  the  will. 
Any  religion,  or  rather  jpre^ence  of  religion,  which  is  not 
powerful  enough  to  penetrate  into  this  region  of  the  mind, 
and  to  bring  the  affections  and  will  into  subjection  to 
God,  is  in  vain.  It  is  an  important  fact,  and  as  melan- 
choly as  it  is  true,  that  a  person  may  be  spiritually  enlight- 
tened  and  have  new  views  on  the  subject  of  religion, 
and  that  he  may  also  have  very  raised  and  joyful  emotions, 
and  yet  may  be  a  slave  to  his  natural  desires.  He  has 
not  experienced  what  every  one  must  experience,  who 
would  enter  into  communion  with  the  Divine  Mind,  viz., 
the  death  of  nature.  He  loves  the  things  of  the  world 
more  than  the  things  of  God.  Many,  very  many,  are 
the  instances  which  can  verify  this  remark.  As  the  re- 
sult of  their  intellectual  illumination,  the  persons  to  whom 
these  statements  will  apply  are  undoubtedly  in  advance 
of  what  they  were  previously,  and  are  able  to  talk  flu- 
ently on  the  subject  of  religion.  And,  in  consequence  of 
some  premature  application  of  the  Savior's  merits  to  their 
own  case,  they  can  speak  of  pleasures  and  of  hopes  which 
they  never  before  experienced.  But  only  urge  upon 
them  the  necessity  of  self-crucifixion  ;  only  touch  the 
idols  which  they  cherish  in  their  inner  heart;  and  they 
discover  at  once  the  dominion  which  the  world  has  over 
them  still.  God  has  not  become  the  life  of  the  soul. 
At  a  proposition  so  necessary  to  the  life  of  God  and  so 


1.42  ON  THE  NATURE  AND  RELATIONS 

repugnant  to  the  life  of  nature,  the  spirit  of  antamed 
ind  ahnost  unmitigated  evil,  which  reposed  so  closely 
and  secretly  in  their  bosoms,  will  start  into  existence 
with  features  of  opposition  and  malignity  altogether  at 
variance  with  the  peace  and  purity  of  a  holy  heart, 

(1.)  In  connection  with  this  subject,  one  or  two  re- 
marks may  properly  be  made.  And  one  is,  that  we 
may  probably  discover  in  these  principles  the  reason 
why  it  is,  that,  in  times  of  especial  religious  attention, 
so  many  persons,  who  appeared  to  be  much  engaged  in 
religion  for  a  season,  subsequently  lose  their  interest, 
and  become,  both  in  practice  and  feeling,  assimilated  to 
the  world.  Such  persons  are  undoubtedly  the  subjects 
of  an  inward  experience ;  and  this  experience,  in  com- 
mon parlance,  is  frequently  called  a  religious  experience  ; 
but  it  is  obviously  defective  in  the  essential  particular 
of  not  having  a  root.  "  But  he  that  received  the  word 
into  stony  places,  the  same  is  he  that  heareth  the 
word,  and  anon  with  joy  receiveth  it.  Yet  hath  he  not 
root  in  himself."  Notwithstanding  their  increased  abil- 
ity and  readiness  to  converse  on  the  subject  of  religion, 
and  the  exhibitions  which  they  make  of  emotion,  some- 
times of  high  emotion,  they  do  not  understand  what  it 
is^to  place  themselves  a  living  sacrifice  upon  the  divine 
altar.  They  do  not  appreciate,  and  still  less  do  they 
realize  in  their  own  hearts  and  lives,  the  "  all  of  God 
and  nothing  of  the  creature." 

(2. )  Another  remark  is  this :  We  would  not  have  it 
inferred,  from  what  has  been  said,  that  we  regard  what 
we  denominate  emotional  experience  as  being  without 
value.  It  is  true,  that  such  experience  is  valueless  when 
it  stops  in  itself,  and  becomes  nothing  more  than  mere 
emotional  experience.  But  though  valueless  in  itself, 
it  is  not  valueless  in  its  relations;  and  especially  it  is 
not  so,  when  it  is  followed  by  those  results  to  which 
we  naturally  expect  it  to  lead.  And  hence  we  may 
properly  say,  in  estimating  the  experiences  which  the 
mind  is  likely  to  pass  through  in  seasons  of  religious 
attention,  that  it  is  a  matter  of  some  encouragement 


OF  EMOTIONAL  EXPERIENCE.  143 

when  light  is  communicated  to  the  intellect,  though  in 
a  small  degree.  It  is  matter  of  encouragement  also, 
and  still  more  so,  when  we  see  these  intellectual  im- 
pressions followed  by  a  consentient  and  gratified  move- 
ment in  the  emotions.  But  the  danger  is  in  encour- 
aging those,  who  are  the  subjects  of  them,  in  believing 
that  they  are  religious,  when  they  are  merely  the  sub' 
jects  of  that  which,  in  a  favorable  aspect  of  it,  can  be 
regarded  only  as  preparatory  to  religion.  This  dan- 
ger, which  is  imminent,  and  in  many  cases  has  proved 
destructive,  ought  to  be  carefully  guarded  against ;  es- 
pecially by  those  who,  as  ministers  of  the  gospel,  and 
as  professed  religious  teachers,  are  supposed  to  have  a 
better  acquaintance  than  others  with  the  facts  and  prin- 
ciples of  religious  experience. 

(3.)  In  concluding  the  remarks  of  this  chapter,  wo 
take  the  liberty  to  urge  upon  all,  who  wish  to  live  the 
true  inward  life,  the  importance  of  not  resting  satisfied 
with  mere  intellectual  light,  however  valuable  it  may  be  ; 
of  not  resting  satisfied  with  joyful,  or  any  other  emo- 
tions, which  stop  and  terminate  in  themselves ;  and  of 
acting  invariably  upon  the  principle,  that  nothing  ought 
to  satisfy  themselves,  and  that  nothing  can  satisfy  God, 
but  the  subjection  of  every  natural  desire,  and  the  sub- 
stitution of  desires,  affections,  and  purposes,  which  ter- 
minate in  God,  and  God  alone.  Move  onward,  there- 
fore, with  a  firmness  which  no  obstacle  shall  shake,  to 
the  entire  revolution  and  renewal  of  the  inward  nature  ; 
the  increased  illumination  of  the  conscience,  that  great 
light  of  the  mind  ;  the  sanctification  of  the  desires, 
which  embrace  the  whole  propensive  and  "affectional  " 
nature  ;  and  the  subjection  of  the  will,  which  is  natu- 
rally so  proud  and  rebellious,  to  the  will  of  God.  Feai 
not  that  God  will  desert  you.  Aided  by  the  intellectual 
light  which  he  has  seen  fit  to  give,  and  by  those  favor- 
able emotions  he  has  already  excited,  form  the  fixed, 
unalterable  purpose,  "the  high  resolve,"  in  reliance 
upon  divine  grace,  to  be  wholly  his.  No  doubt,  in 
many  cases,  the  struggle  will  be  severe.     The  unsanc- 


144       NATURE  OF  EMOTIONAL  EXPERIENCE. 

tified  desires  especially,  including  the  various  appetites, 
propensities,  and  affections,  which  form  so  important  a 
part  of  our  nature,  are  selfish  and  tenacious  ;  and,  con- 
sidered as  opposed  to  any  and  all  human  strength, 
are  undoubtedly  invincible.  But  God  has  said,  "  My 
grace  is  sufficient  for  thee."  His  word  shall  never  fail  ; 
and  least  of  all,  in  such  a  struggle,  in  which  his  own 
heart  of  infinite  love  is  enlisted.  Desire  after  desire 
will  fall  ;  idol  after  idol  will  be  demolished ;  the 
Christian  graces  will  successively  gain  the  ascendency ; 
till  the  Holy  Ghost  shall  take  up  his  permanent  resi- 
dence in  his  own  purified  temple,  and  victory  will  sit 
crowned  in  the  centre  of  the  heart. 


"  Jehovah,  Sovereign  of  my  heart ! 

My  joy  by  night  and  day  ! 
From  Thee,  O,  may  I  never  part, 

From  Thee  ne'er  go  astray  ! 

"  Whene'er  allurements  round  me  0ti>nd, 
And  tempt  me  from  my  choice, 

O,  let  me  find  thy  gracious  hand  ' 
O,  let  me  hear  tbv  roice  !  ' 


145 


CHAPTER    SEVENTEENTH 

SOME    MARKS   OR   CHARACTERISTICS   OF   PERFECTlOr 
OF  LOVE. 

If  the  doctrine,  which  is  variously  termed  sanctifi- 
cation,  evangelical  holiness,  and  evangelical  or  Christian 
perfection,  be  true,  or  if  the  related  and  equivalent  doc- 
trine, which  is  denominated  assurance  of  faith,  be  true, 
then  it  will  follow  that  it  is  our  duty  and  privilege,  even 
in  the  present  life,  to  realize  in  our  own  souls  the  fulfil- 
ment of  that  great  command,  "  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord 
thy  God  with  all  thy  heart."  In  other  words,  it  is  our 
duty  and  privilege  to  possess  what  may  properly  be 
called  "  perfect  love."  Accordingly,  it  becomes  a  very 
important  and  interesting  inquiry.  When  can  our  love 
properly  be  said  to  be  perfect  ?  It  will  be  our  object,  in 
the  remarks  which  follow  in  this  chapter,  to  endeavor 
to  answer  this  inquiry. 

But,  before  proceeding,  it  may  be  proper  to  premise 
here,  that  perfection  of  love  implies  the  removal  or  ex- 
tinction of  all  selfishness.  In  other  words,  perfect  love 
is  always  pure  love.  We  may  probably  conceive  of 
love  which  is  pure  in  its  nature,  but  is  deficient  in 
some  respects  ;  either  in  degree,  or  more  probably  in  its 
extent  and  applications.  But  we  cannot  conceive  of 
love  which  is  acceptable  to  God,  and  is  perfect  in  degree, 
which  has  any  intermixture  of  selfishness. 

Another  remark  which  may  properly  be  made  here 
IS  this :  Perfection  of  love  is  necessarily  relative  to  the 
capacity  of  the  subject  of  it.  In  other  words,  what 
would  be  perfection  of  love  in  one  would  not  be  in 
another,  whose  capacity  of  loving  is  greater.  That 
precise  amount  or  degree  of  love,  in  man,  which  would 


146  SOME    MARKS    OK    CHARACTERISTICS 

be  characterized  as  perfect  in  consequence  of  being  all 
his  capacity  could  render,  would  be  imperfect  in  an 
angel  or  other  being  of  greater  capacity. 

With  these  remarks  in  recollection,  we  proceed  to  in- 
quire, when  our  love  to  God  may  be  regarded  as  per- 
fect. In  other  words,  when  shall  we  know,  or  at  least 
have  reasonable  grounds  to  believe,  that  we  fulfil  in  our 
own  hearts  that  great  and  excellent  command,  "  Thou 
shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  soul, 
and  mind,  and  strength  "  ?  Love  to  a  human  object  is 
generally  understood  to  embrace  two  things :  eirst.  a 
pleasure  or  complacency  in  the  object ;  and  second,  a 
desire  to  do  good  to  that  object.  When  speaking  of 
God,  who  sustains  to  us  a  relation  higher  and  dilTerent 
from  that  sustained  by  human  beings,  we  may  with  pro- 
priety alter  the  form  of  expression  slightly,  although 
with  essentially  the  same  idea  at  the  bottom,  and  say 
that  love  to  God  embraces  two  things :  first,  a  pleasure 
or  complacency  in  his  character;  and  second,  a  desire  to 
promote  his  glory.  The  characteristics  of  entireness 
or  perfection  of  love,  which  we  shall  proceed  to  men- 
tion, are  based,  in  part,  upon  this  distinction. 

First.  Accordingly,  the  first  mark  of  perfect  love  to 
God  is  an  entire  approbation  of  and  delight  in  his  char- 
acter in  all  respects.  In  other  words,  approving  and 
complacent  emotions,  without  the  least  intermixture  of 
doubt  and  dissatisfaction,  arise  in  view  of  his  power  and 
justice,  as  well  as  of  his  goodness  and  mercy  ;  so  that  we 
delight  truly  and  continually  in  his  whole  character,  and 
in  all  the  exhibitions  of  his  character,  as  they  are  actu- 
ally made  known  to  us  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  or  in  any 
other  way.  The  least  want  of  trust  and  complacency  in 
the  divine  character  will  necessarily  be  a  vicious  ingre- 
dient or  element  in  the  affection  of  love,  which  cannot 
fail  to  diff'use  weakness  and  imperfection  throughout. 
This  is  one  point,  then,  on  which  it  is  important  to  ex- 
amine ourselves.  If  we  find  that  the  character  of  God, 
as  it  presents  itself  to  notice  in  all  its  varieties,  appears 
to  us  exceedingly  pure  and  lovely ;  if  we  contemplate 


or    PERFECTIOiN    OF    LOVE.  147 

it  wi.h  a  perfect  conviction  that  all  its  manifestations 
will  be  in  accordance  with  truth,  mercy,  and  righteous- 
ness, and  with  no  other  emotions  in  any  respect  than 
those  of  entire  complacency,  then  we  have  reason  to 
think  that  we  have  one  of  the  marks  or  characteristics 
of  perfection  of  love.  Not,  in  all  probability,  the  lead- 
ing and  decisive,  but  still  an  indispensable  one. 

Second.  A  second  mark  of  perfect  love  to  God  is  the 
existence  of  a  desire  to  promote  his  glory,  (which  is  the 
other  higher  and  more  decisive  characteristic  of  this  com- 
plex mental  state,)  in  such  a  degree,  that  we  are  not  con- 
scious of  having  any  desire  or  will  at  variance  with  the 
will  of  God. 

In  other  words,  it  is  our  sincere  and  constant  desire  to 
do  and  suffer  in  all  things  the  will  of  God.  When  such 
is  the  case,  when  there  is  an  entire  and  cordial  acquies- 
cence of  our  own  in  the  will  of  God,  both  to  do  and  to 
suffer,  we  have  the  second  mark  —  and  we  may  add,  also, 
the  most  important  and  satisfactory  one  — that  our  love  is 
perfect.  The  nature  of  the  human  mind  is  such,  that 
we  never  can  have  an  entire  and  cordial  acquiescence 
in  the  will  of  God  in  all  things,  without  an  antecedent 
approval  of  and  complacency  in  his  character  and  admin- 
istration. Accordingly,  the  second  mark,  viz.,  a  will  en- 
tirely accordant  with  and  lost  in  the  will  of  God,  is  of  it- 
self sufficient,  inasmuch  as  it  necessarily  includes  and  em- 
braces the  first.  And  by  this  mark  alone,  as  I  suppose, 
we  might  know  whether  our  love  is  or  is  not  perfect. 

We  may,  perhaps,  illustrate  this  view  of  the  subject, 
by  what  we  sometimes  notice  in  the  various  forms  and 
degrees  of  filial  love.  We  will  take,  in  the  first  place, 
the  case  of  a  child,  who  is  sincerely  attached  to  his 
father,  but  who,  as  we  sometimes  express  it,  exhibits  a 
''  will  of  his  own."  This  child  undoubtedly  loves  his 
father  very  much  ;  but  at  the  same  time  he  does  not 
always  do,  with  entire  pleasure  and  readiness,  what  his 
father  wishes  him  to  do.  He  sometimes  hesitates,  exhib- 
its a  clouded  brow,  or  utters  an  impatient  expression. 


148         SOME  MARKS  OR  CHARACTERISTICS 

when  certain  things  are  requked  of  him.  He  has  certain 
little  objects  of  his  own,  which  he  is  very  much  attached 
to  ;  and  if  his  father's  plans  happen  to  cross  and  oppose 
them,  he  exhibits,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  a  disposi- 
tion to  set  up  for  himself  and  to  rebel.  And  when  he 
outwardly  obeys,  it  is  found  that  he  does  it  reluctantly, 
and  not  with  a  will  harmonizing  and  blending  with  the 
paternal  will.  Now,  we  may  say  very  truly,  that  this 
child  loves  his  father  —  perhaps  he  loves  him  very  much 
—  and  yet  it  is  clear  he  does  not  love  him  perfectly. 
But  when  we  see  a  child  who  is  happy  only  when  he 
sees  his  father  happy  ;  whose  delight  it  is  to  anticipate 
the  father's  wishes  ;  whose  will,  by  a  sort  of  instinctive 
tendency,  is  invariably  and  powerfully  united  and  blend- 
ed with  the  paternal  will,  so  that  the  least  opposition 
between  the  two  wills  is  a  source  of  the  greatest  grief 
to  him,  we  at  once  feel,  and  cannot  help  feeling,  that  the 
love  of  such  a  child  may  properly  be  called  perfect.  And 
in  accordance  with  this  view,  it  is  said  to  have  been  one 
of  the  sayings  of  the  devout  Francis  Xavier,  that  "  the 
perfection  of  the  creature  consists  in  willing  nothing  but 
the  will  of  the  Creator." 

What  other  idea  of  perfection  of  love  can  we  have 
than  this  ?  The  heart  of  such  a  person  is  made  one 
with  another  heart ;  and  what  could  we  ask  for  more  ^ 
This,  then,  more  than  any  thing  else,  is  the  decisive 
mark  of  perfection  in  Christian  love,  viz.,  an  entire 
coincidence  of  our  own  wills  with  the  divine  will  ;  in 
other  words,  the  rejection  of  the  natural  principle  of 
life,  which  may  be  described  as  love  terminating  in  self 
and  constituting  self-will ;  and  the  adoption  of  the 
heavenly  principle  of  life,  which  is  love  terminating  and 
fulfilled  in  the  will  of  God.  And  this  view,  which  is 
practically,  as  well  as  theologically,  a  very  important 
one,  seems  to  be  confirmed  by  what  the  Savior  says  of 
himself  in  a  number  of  passages.  John  vi.  38 :  "  For  I 
came  down  from  heaven  not  to  do  mine  own  will,  but 
the  will  of  him  that  sent  me."     John  iv.  34:   "Jesus 


Oi<"     PERFECTION    OF     LOVE.  149 

saith  unto  them,  My  meat  is  to  do  the  will  of  him  that 
sent  me,  and  to  finish  his  work."  Heb.  x.  9 :  "  Then 
said  he,  Lo,  I  come  to  do  thy  will,  O  God."  The  same 
idea,  viz.,  that  perfection  of  Christian  love  exists,  and 
exists  only  in  connection  with  a  will  united  to  and  per- 
fectly coincident  with  the  will  of  God,  is  conveyed  in 
that  interesting  passage,  Mark  iii.  34,  35  :  "  And  he 
looked  round  about  on  them  which  sat  about  him,  and 
said,  Behold  my  mother  and  my  brethren !  for  whosoever 
shall  do  the  will  of  God,  the  same  is  my  brother,  and 
my  sister,  and  mother."  Matt.  vi.  21 :  '*  Not  every  one 
that  saith  unto  me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  heaven ;  hut  he  that  doeth  the  will  of  tny 
Father  which  is  in  heaven." 

Third.  As  closely  connected  with  what  has  been 
laid  down  as  the  second  characteristic  of  perfect  love, 
we  remark,  again,  that  perfect  love  excludes,  in  a  great 
degree,  and  perhaps  entirely,  any  reflections  upon  self 
(or  "  reflex  acts,"  as  they  are  sometimes  termed)  which 
are  of  a  self-interested  or  selfish  character.  In  other 
words,  perfect  love,  when  in  actual  exercise,  implies  a 
forgetfulness  of  self.  Whenever  our  thoughts  return 
upon  ourselves;  whenever,  in  the  exercise  of  "reflex 
acts,"  we  begin  to  inquire  into  the  specific  nature  of  our 
feelings,  for  the  purpose  of  estimating  the  amount  of 
their  enjoyment ;  whenever  we  experience  a  jealousy, 
that  God  does  not  give  to  us  all  those  returns  and  caress- 
es of  love  which  we  should  be  pleased  with ;  we  may 
be  assured  that,  although  we  may  possibly  love  much, 
we  might  love  much  more.  In  other  words,  our  love, 
whatever  other  terms  may  be  applied  to  it,  cannot  be 
regarded  as  perfect.  It  is  the  nature  of  perfect  love,  in 
its  forgetfulness  of  self,  to  array  the  object  towards  which 
it  is  directed  in  every  possible  excellence.  To  that 
object,  so  far  as  it  is  truly  worthy  of  its  attachment,  it 
gives  the  strength  of  its  affections,  without  reservation 
and  without  limits.  It  is  perfectly  self-sacrificing  ;  and 
it  would  account  itself  dishonored  and  degraded,  if  it 
turned  back  on  itself  for  a  moment,  to  estimate  its  own 
13^ 


150  SOME    M\RKS    OR    CHARACTERISTICS 

reward.  It  has  its  reward,  it  is  true.  Perfect  love  is 
necessarily  its  own  rewarder.  But  the  reward  comes 
without  seeking,  and  is  enjoyed  so  entirely  without 
notice,  that  it  does  not  turn  the  mind  away  a  moment 
from  the  object  of  its  affections. 

A  number  of  inferences  easily  follow  from  these  gen- 
eral views,  and  which  may  be  regarded  as  furnishing 
some  additional  or  secondary  marks  of  perfected  love. 

(1.)  A  person  who  has  perfect  love  will  love  his 
Bible  above  all  other  books.  It  will  be  dear  to  his 
heart,  an  inexpressible  treasure.  And  the  reason  is 
obvious.  It  is  because  in  the  Bible  he  learns  the  will 
of  God,  which  he  delights  in  more  than  in  any  thing 
else.  And  hence  it  is  one  of  the  artifices  of  Satan,  who 
is  no  friend  of  the  Bible,  to  endeavor  to  detach  devout 
minds  from  the  study  of  the  Divine  Word,  mider  the 
»)lausible  pretence  that  the  inward  teachings  of  the 
Spirit  are  of  more  value  than  the  outward  letter  —  an 
artifice  which  he,  who  desires  a  close  walk  with  God, 
will  carefully  guard  against ;  remembering  that  God  can- 
not consistently,  and  will  not,  neglect  and  dishonor  his 
own  divine  communications;  that  the  Holy  Spirit  oper- 
ates in  a  peculiar  manner,  in  connection  with  the  written 
Word  ;  and  that  he  who  deserts  the  Word  of  God 
may  reasonably  expect  to  be  deserted  by  the  Spirit. 

(2.)  Perfect  love  will  exhibit  a  trait  of  permanency 
and  perseverance  under  the  most  trying  circumstances. 
Our  fears  and  hopes  vary  ;  our  joys  and  sorrows  vary  ; 
but  we  may  reasonably  expect  that  the  love,  which  is 
pure  in  its  nature  and  perfect  in  its  degree,  will  continue 
the  same.  There  is  no  reason  why  it  should  change, 
since  the  object  at  which  it  aims  is  the  same  with  the 
immutable  will  of  God.  The  will  of  God  is  its  true 
life.  Accordingly,  when,  in  the  providence  of  God,  we 
are  afflicted;  our  joys  will  be  less,  but  there  will  be  no 
diminution  of  love.  Joy  flourishes  in  the  sunshine,  but 
love  grows  and  flourishes  in  the  storm  also.  God  may 
hide  his  face  from  us,  but  hearts  of  love  still  look  in 
that  direction  where  his  face  is.     The  Savior,  on  a  cer 


OF    PERFECTION    OF    LOVE.  151 

tain  occasion,  was  greatly  afflicted.  His  language  was, 
"My  soul  is  exceeding  sorrowful,  even  unto  death." 
His  joy  was  taken  from  him,  but  his  love  remained. 
He  could  still  say,  while  he  prayed  that  the  cup  might, 
if  possible,  pass  from  him,  "  Nevertheless,  not  as  I  will, 
but  as  Thou  wilt." 

(3.)  We  remark,  in  conclusion,  that  those,  in  whom 
.he  love  of  God  is  perfected,  will  love  the  children  of 
God  with  peculiar  strength.  Perfect  love  is  the  image 
of  Christ  in  the  soul ;  and  wherever  we  see  that  image,  — 
in  whatever  denomination  of  Christians,  and  in  what- 
ever persons,  —  our  hearts  will  recognize  the  divine  rela- 
tionship, and  rejoice  in  it.  Without  this  strong  love  to 
those  who  bear  the  divine  image,  we  may  be  sure  that 
our  love  is  not  perfect.  It  is  God's  great  work,  and 
highest  delight,  to  create  this  image  in  the  hearts  of 
men  ;  and  if  our  will  is  swallowed  up  in  his  will,  we 
sha'l  rejoice  in  it  in  some  degree  as  he  does,  and  shall 
know  the  delightful  meaning  of  those  numerous  pas- 
sages of  Scripture  which  speak  of  the  love  of  Christians 
to  each  other. 


"  'Tis  Love  unites  what  sin  divides, 
The  centre,  where  all  bliss  resides  ; 

To  which  the  soul  once  brought, 
Reclining  on  the  first  Great  (J  ause, 
From  his  abounding  sweetness  draws 

Peace,  passing  human  thotght." 


'53  SOME    MARKS    OR    CHARACTERISTICS. 


[Francis  de  Sales,  at  the  end  of  his  Religious  Maxims,  relates  tnc 
following  conversation,  as  having  taken  place  between  Tliauler,  a 
learned  and  popular  preacher  of  the  fourteenth  century,  and  an  obscuro 
beggar.  It  is  introduced  here,  as  having  some  connection  witli  a  por 
tion  of  the  foregoing  chapter.] 

"  A  great  divine  prayed  to  God,  during  the  space  of 
eight  years,  that  he  would  be  graciously  pleased  to  di- 
rect him  to  a  man  who  might  teach  him  the  true  way 
to  heaven.  It  was  said  to  him  at  length,  '  Go  to  such  a 
church  porch,  and  there  thou  shalt  find  a  man,  who  will 
instruct  thee  in  the  spiritual  life.'  Accordingly  he  went, 
and  found  a  poor  beggar  very  meanly  clad.  He  salu- 
ted him  in  these  words,  *  God  give  you  a  good  day,  my 
friend ! '  The  poor  man  answered,  '  Sir,  I  do  not  remem- 
ber that  I  ever  had  an  evil  day.'  The  doctor  said  to 
him,  '  God  give  you  a  good  and  happy  life  ! '  '  Why  say 
you  that  ? '  replied  the  beggar  ;  '  I  never  was  unhappy.' 
'  God  bless  you,  my  friend !  '  said  the  doctor ;  '  pray  tell 
me  what  you  mean.'  He  replied,  '  That  I  shall  will- 
ingly do.  I  told  you  first,  I  never  had  an  evil  day ;  for 
when  I  have  hunger,  I  praise  God  ;  if  it  rain,  hail,  snow, 
or  freeze  ;  be  it  fair  or  foul ;  or  if  I  am  despised  or  ill- 
used,  —  I  return  God  thanks  ;  so  I  never  had  an  ill  day  : 
nor  have  1  ever  been  unhappy,  since  I  have  learned 
always  to  resign  myself  to  his  will,  being  very  certain 
of  this,  that  all  his  Avorks  are  perfectly  good  ;  and  there- 
fore I  never  desire  any  thing  else  but  the  good  pleasure 
of  God.'  Then  said  the  doctor,  '  But  what  if  the  good 
pleasure  of  God  should  be  to  cast  you  hence  into  hell  ? ' 
'  If  he  would  do  so,'  replied  the  other,  '  I  have  two 
arms  to  embrace  him  with ;  the  one  whereof  is  a  pro- 
found humility,  by  which  I  am  united  to  his  holy  hu- 
manity ;  the  other  is  love  or  charity,  which  joins  me  to 
his  divinity.  Embraced  with  these  two  arms,  he  would 
descend  with  me  thither,  if  thither  he  ordered  me  ;  and 
there  I  had  infinitely  rather  be  with  him,  than  in  paradise 
without  him.'  Hereby  the  doctor  learned,  that  a  true 
resignation  to  the  divine  will,  acr,ompani  d   with  pro- 


OF    PERFECTION    OF    LOVE.  153 

tound  humility  of  heart,  is  the  shortest  way  to  attain 
God's  love. 

"  After  that,  he  asked  him,  again,  from  whence  he  came. 
The  poor  man  answered,  God  sent  him.  The  doctor 
inquired  of  him  where  he  found  God  ?  He  replied,  '  1 
found  him  where  I  had  renounced  all  the  creatures.'  '  And 
where  did  you  leave  him  ? '  said  the  doctor.  He  replied, 
'  With  the  poor  in  spirit,  the  pure  in  heart,  and  men  of  char- 
ity.' '  But  who  are  you  ? '  says  the  divine.  '  I  am  a  king,' 
says  the  beggar.  '  Where  is  your  kingdom  ? '  says  the 
former.  '  In  my  soul,'  says  the  latter.  '  I  have  learned 
to  bring  into  subjection  and  to  govern  my  senses,  as 
well  outward  as  inward,  with  my  affections  and  passions 
—  which  kingdom  is  undoubtedly  superior  to  all  the 
kingdoms  of  this  world.'  The  doctor  then  asked  him 
by  what  means  he  had  attained  to  such  perfection.  He 
answered,  'By  silence,  watchfulness,  meditation,  prayer, 
and  the  union  I  have  with  God.  I  could  find  no  sure 
repose,  or  comfort,  in  any  creature  of  the  world ;  by 
means  whereof  I  found  out  my  God,,  who  will  comfort 
me  world  without  end.'  " 


154 


CHAPTER   EIGHTEENTH. 


ON    THE    JOY  OF   FAITH,  IN  THE   WANT   AND   DESOLA 
TION    OF   ALL   THINGS   ELSE. 


"In  the  world  ye  shall  have  tribulation,"  is  a  decla- 
ration of  the  Savior,  confirmed  by  individual  and  gen- 
eral experience.  Even  the  most  devoted  Christians  are 
not  exempt.  The  tribulations,  to  which  the  people  of 
God  are  subject,  are  internal  as  well  as  external  —  sor- 
rows of  the  mind  as  well  as  sufferings  of  the  body 
Sometimes  they  are  very  great.  There  are  some  occa 
sions,  on  which  all  those  subordinate  consolations,  of 
which  God  generally  permits  his  people  in  a  greater  oi 
less  degree  to  partake,  are  taken  away.  There  is  left 
to  them  neither  the  vivacity  of  health  nor  the  conso- 
lation of  friends  ;  no  pleasures  of  social  intercourse;  no 
prosperity  in  worldly  business  ;  no  rest  from  outward 
persecutions  :  no  cessations  from  the  bitter  temptations 
of  the  adversary.  This,  it  will  be  said,  is  an  extreme 
case  ;  but  it  is  only  extreme  cases  of  which,  in  the 
present  chapter,  we  propose  to  speak.  There  is  rea- 
son to  suppose  that  many  souls,  whom  God  designs  to 
bring  to  the  highest  degree  of  purity  in  this  life,  es- 
pecially if  they  are  disposed  to  resist,  and  do  not  render 
themselves  up  easily  to  his  great  purpose,  will  be  called 
upon  to  pass  through  some  heavy  and  perhaps  extreme 
triads.  Such  trials  seem  oftentimes  to  be  rendered  neces- 
sary—  necessary  not  in  the  nature  of  things,  but  on 
account  of  the  corruption  of  the  natural  heart.  The 
possession  of  internal  purity  implies  the  entire  cruci- 
fixion of  self;  and  this  is  an  operation  which  the  natu- 
ral heart  finds  it  hard  to  submit  to.     Hence  it  is  thai 


ON    THE    JOY    OF    FAITH.  155 

earthly  joys  are  tempo."arily  dried  up,  that  human  con- 
solations are  taken  away,  and  "  the  axe  is  laid  at  the 
root  "  of  all  the  sources  of  self-seeking  and  self-enjoy- 
ment, in  order  that  the  soul  may  experience  the  truth 
and  the  severity  of  inward  crucifixion. 

It  is  at  such  a  time,  and  amid  these  various  and  un- 
mitigated trials,  that  the  soul  sustains  itself  by  faith  — 
by  what  is  variously  called  in  different  writers,  but  gen- 
erally, as  I  suppose,  with  the  same  meaning,  "simple 
faith,"  "pure  faith,"  or  "naked  faith."  And  there  seems 
to  be  a  marked  propriety  in  these  forms  of  expression ; 
because  faith,  as  the  sustaining  principle,  stands  at  such 
times  alone.  All  human  supports  are  removed.  On 
every  side  there  appears  discouragement  and  darkness; 
and  it  is  by  faith,  and  faith  only,  that  the  soul  is  enabled 
to  retain  its  religious  integrity.  It  is  under  such  cir- 
cumstances that  faith  becomes,  as  it  were,  a  superior  and 
guiding  faculty  of  the  soul ;  upon  which  the  others, 
especially  the  various  inferior  principles,  seem  to  rest. 
While  the  subordinate  principles  of  our  nature,  the  nat- 
ural  desires,  and  the  various  forms  of  natural  affection, 
are  assailed  by  their  appropriate  temptations,  and  some 
times  in  a  very  severe  and  terrible  manner,  they  deriv^e 
from  the  sublime  principle  of  faith,  which  stands  in  its 
central  position  of  strength  and  grandeur,  a  defensive 
and  repulsive  power,  which  makes  them  more  than  con- 
querors. 

But  the  principle,  or  truth,  which  we  wish  particularly 
to  impress  upon  the  reader's  mind  in  these  remarks,  is 
this:  When  all  earthly  comforts  are  dried  up,  and  when 
faith  alone  remains  as  the  sustaining  principle  of  the  soul, 
there  is  an  interior  consolation,  deep  and  tranquil,  flow- 
ing out  from  faith  itself.  This  is  a  circumstance  which 
is  often  overlooked.  But  it  is  a  great  truth,  contrary  to 
the  opinion  of  some  who  do  not  fully  understand  the 
nature  of  the  divine  operation  in  the  soul,  that  there  is  a 
JOT  IN  FAITH.  The  life  of  faith,  though  it  may  be  des- 
titute of  every  outward  support  and  comfort,  is  not  so 
desolate  in  itself,  so  wanting  in  every  thing  that  brings 


156  ON    THE    JOY    OF    FAITH. 

inward  happiness,  as  some  seem  to  suppose.  It  is  true 
sustained  in  the  spirit  of  self-sacrifice,  and  seeking  noth- 
ing but  unity  with  the  divine  will,  it  never  aims  at  con- 
solation as  an  ultimate  object.  It  thinks  more  of  what 
God  is,  than  of  what  he  gives.  And  thus  God  himself, 
the  great  original  of  all  good,  becomes  the  fountain  ol 
the  soul's  joy  ;  and  the  joy  which  is  thus  experienced 
is  necessarily  a  pure  joy,  uncontaminated  by  any  mix- 
ture of  self  Ask  those  pious  persons  who,  in  the  exer- 
cise of  faith,  are  endeavoring  to  lay  all  upon  the  altar  of 
God,  but  who,  nevertheless,  are  called,  in  the  course  of 
his  wise  but  mysterious  dealings  and  providences,  to  pass 
through  the  extremity  of  interior  and  exterior  desolation, 
if  they  are  sustained  by  any  thing  in  the  nature  of  con- 
solation, and  they  will  readily  answer  in  the  affirmative. 
Their  language  is,  — if  they  have  nothing  else,  they  have 
the  consolation  which  flows  from  believing ;  if  the 
sweetness  of  every  other  fountain  is  closed,  they  still 
have  the  joy  of  faith. 

This  is  one  of  the  unalterable  conditions  of  faith,  cs 
pecially  when  it  exists  in  a  high  degree,  viz.,  that  it  is 
attended  with  a  pure  and  tranquil  consolation  —  consola- 
tion so  sure  and  permanent,  that  we  can  never  be  de- 
prived of  it,  whatever  else  may  be  taken  away.  The 
soul  is  led  up,  as  it  were,  into  the  mountam  of  God's 
protection.  In  the  attitude  of  calm  repose,  it  remains 
established  on  that  sublime  height,  with  the  sunlight  of 
heavenly  peace  for  its  companion,  while  there  is  nothing 
but  darkness  and  the  roaring  of  tempests  in  the  valleys 
below.  Such  was  the  pure  and  sublime  consolation 
which  our  Savior  experienced,  when  his  heavenly  Father 
had  withdrawn  from  him  the  manifestations  of  his  love, 
and  left  him  in  extreme  and  inexpressible  desolation  of 
spirit.  He  still  possessed,  though  apparently  and  terribly 
forsaken,  the  consolation  and  the  joy  of  faith.  He  could 
still  recognize  the  bond  of  union,  and  still  appropriate,  as 
it  were,  his  heavenly  Fatlier  to  himself,  and  say,  "  My 
God!    ilfyGod!" 


157 


CHAPTER  NINETEENTH. 

ON  THl  NATURE  OF  THE  TEMPTATIONS  OF  A  SANCTl 
FIED  HEART. 

It  is  our  object,  in  the  present  chapter,  to  give  a  gen- 
eral outline^of  the  subject  of  temptations ;  but  particu- 
larly of  the  temptations  of  a  heart  that  is  so  far  given  to 
the  Lord,  that  it  may  properly  be  regarded  as  in  a  state 
of  assurance  and  of  sanctification.  Temptations,  or 
tempting  objects,  are  those  objects  which  are  presented 
by  the  intellect  to  the  sensibilities  and  the  will ;  and  are 
of  such  a  nature  that  they  have  a  tendency  to  induce  or 
cause,  in  the  sensitive  part  of  our  nature,  viz.,  in  the  ap- 
petites, propensities,  and  affections,  and  also  in  the  will, 
a  wrong  action.  Sometimes  the  action,  to  which  the 
temptations  lead,  is  wrong  in  the  fact  of  its  existence, 
or  in  itself  considered ;  and  sometimes  it  is  wrong  only 
in  the  degree  of  its  existence.  If  the  temptations  ad- 
vance in  their  influence  beyond  the  intellect,  and  take 
effect  in  the  desires  and  will,  prompting  them  to  action 
when  they  should  not  act  at  all,  or  prompting  them  to  a 
prohibited  and  inordinate  degree  of  action  when  they  are 
permitted  to  act,  they  are  always  attended  with  sin. 
And  in  accordance  with  this  general  and  somewhat  in- 
definite statement,  temptations  may  be  regarded  as  pre- 
senting themselves  to  our  notice  in  two  aspects,  or  in  two 
points  of  view. 

First.  We  observe,  in  the  first  place,  that  the  tend- 
ency of  temptations,  in  some  instances,  is  to  bring  feel- 
.ngs  into  existence,  which,  under  the  circumstances  of 
the  case,  are  wrong  in  the  very  fact  x)f  their  existence,  — 
wrongin  their  very  nature,  —  and  which,  therefore,  ought 
not  to  exist  at  all.  The  temptation,  by  a  special  con- 
14 


158       ON  THE  NATURE  OF  THE  TEMPTATIONS 

ciirrence  of  circumstances,  or  through  the  well-calca 
lated  influence  of  Satanic  agency,  is  precisely  adapted  to 
that  particular  wrong  result.  And  if  the  feeling,  appro- 
priate to  the  temptation,  exists,  not  only  in  a  degree  m- 
ordinate  and  irregular,  but  if  it  exists  at  all,  it  is  sin. 
Our  Savior  was  at  a  certain  time  tempted  by  having  the 
kingdoms  and  wealth  of  this  world  presented  before  him, 
obviously  with  the  view  of  their  being  desired  and  pos- 
sessed by  him  as  a  means  of  personal  aggrandizement 
and  enjoyment ;  but  we  snppose  we  give  the  general 
sentiment  of  Christians,  and  of  biblical  interpreters,  in 
saying,  that  the  temptation  went  no  farther,  and  undei 
the  circumstances  of  the  case  could  innocently  go  no 
farther,  than  the  thoughts.  It  had  no  effect  upon  the 
Savior's  desires  or  will ;  that  is  to  say,  it  secured  no 
pleased  and  consentient  action  ;  but  was  instantly  re- 
jected. The  temptation  presented  to  the  Savior  at  the 
same  time,  to  throw  himself  down  from  the  temple,  is 
equally  appropriate  and  decisive,  considered  as  an  illus- 
tration of  the  present  subject.  It  could  hardly  be  con- 
sidered less  than  a  proposition,  under  a  very  specious 
pretext,  to  commit  himself  immediately  and  fully  into 
the  hands  of  Satan,  instead  of  remaining  in  the  will  and 
under  the  government  of  God.  Considered  intellectu- 
ally, or  rather  in  reference  to  the  intellect,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  the  temptation  was  distinctly  perceived  and 
appreciated  in  itself  and  in  its  relations.  Without  this,  it 
could  hardly  be  regarded  as  a  temptation.  But  it  seems 
very  obvious  that  it  found  no  entrance  into  the  heart ; 
and  the  only  action  which  it  did  or  could  produce,  in 
such  a  pure  spirit  as  the  Savior's,  was  that  of  decided 
resistance,  resulting  in  its  instant  rejection. 

In  connection  with  what  has  now  been  said  in  this 
part  of  the  subject,  we  proceed  to  make  one  or  two  ex- 
planatory remarks ;  and  the  first  is,  that  the  incipient, 
and  what  may  be  called,  in  the  cases  we  are  now  con 
sidering,  the  ifinocent  stage  of  the  temptation,  is  when  the 
object  which  imbodies  the  temptation,  or  is  the  medium 
of  temptation,  is  first  presented  to  us  intellectually ;  — 


or    A    SANCTIFIED    HEART.  159 

that  is  to  say,  in  our  mere  thoughts  or  perceptions,  and 
is  there  perceived  and  known,  not  only  as  an  object,  but 
as  an  object  of  temptation.  If  it  stops  at  the  limit  of  the 
intellectual  action,  and  does  not  enter  into  the  heart  and 
",he  will,  there  is  no  sin.  It  is  obviously  necessary,  in 
dl  cases  of  temptation,  that  the  object  should  exist  first 
n  this  manner,  viz.,  intellectually  ;  in  other  words,  that 
it  should  exist  in  the  thoughts,  or  be  j>erceived  and 
thought  of.  Without  this,  viz.,  the  perceived  or  intel- 
lective presence  of  the  object,  it  is  entirely  clear  that 
there  could  not  possibly  be  any  such  thing  as  temptation. 
But,  as  has  been  observed,  the  temptation  may  exist  to 
this  extent,  and  may  be  perceived  and  felt  by  us  so  far 
to  exist,  without  sin. 

A  further  remark,  which  we  have  to  make  here,  is  this : 
Temptations,  limited  in  their  results  to  the  intellectual 
action,  and  which  do  not  in  any  degree  take  effect  in  the 
desires,  could  not  properly  be  considered  temptations, 
vithout  the  physical  or  natural  possibility  of  a  further 
and  sinful  action  of  the  mind  ;  without  an  internal  con- 
viction of  that  possibility  ;  and  perhaps  we  may  add,  with- 
out a  distinct  sense  of  danger.  Hence,  when  tempta- 
tions of  this  particular  character  are  presented,  although 
they  do  not  take  effect  in  the  desires,  they  are  both  per- 
ceived and  felt  to  be  temptations  ;  that  is  to  say,  there  is 
a  clear  perception  of  their  true  character,  both  in  them- 
selves and  in  relation  to  certain  possible  results.  And 
in  addition  to  this,  there  appears  to  be  an  instinctive  and 
prompt  alarm  of  the  sensitive  and  moral  nature.  The 
desires  and  affections  are  not  inert  and  dormant,  as  some 
may  perhaps  suppose  ;  neither  are  the  conscience  and  the 
will ;  but  all  seem  to  be  penetrated  with  the  sense  of 
imminent  hazard,  and  are  thrown  into  the  conscious  atti- 
tude of  repellency. 

Second.  We  pass  now  to  another  class  of  cases.  In 
some  cases,  different  from  those  which  have  been  de- 
scribed, the  temptation  passes  the  limit  of  the  intellectual 
action,  and  actually  takes  effect  in  the  emotions  and  de- 
sires, and  YET  WITHOUT  SIN.    Thefoundationof  this  view 


160      ON  THE  NATURE  OF  THE  TEMPTATIONS 

of  the  subject  is,  that  there  are  many  emotions  ana 
desires  which  in  their  nature  Bxe  morally  and  religiously 
right  and  lawful,  and  are  wrong  only  in  their  degree. 
The  temptation  (that  is,  the  object  which  possesses  the 
seducing  or  tempting  power)  is  presented  intellectually, 
just  as  in  the  jfirst  case ;  and  it  is  desired,  received  into 
the  affections,  and  delighted  in,  to  a  certain  limit  or  de- 
gree. The  precise  place  or  mark  of  this  limit  or  degree 
will  be  different  under  different  circumstances  ;  varying 
with  the  precise  nature  of  the  seducing  or  tempting  ob- 
ject, and  with  the  precise  position  and  responsibilities  of 
the  person  who  is  the  subject  of  the  temptation.  But 
wherever  it  may  be,  it  is  susceptible  of  being  ascertained 
in  various  ways,  either  by  a  reference  to  the  commands  of 
God,  or  by  the  indications  of  an  enlightened  conscience, 
or  by  the  special  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
not  unfrequently  by  their  combined  influence.  At  that 
particular  limit  or  boundary  in  the  desires  and  affections, 
wherever  it  may  be  found  to  exist,  the  temptation,  in 
the  case  of  a  truly  holy  person,  and  in  the  case  of  every 
person  who  does  what  is  right,  necessarily  stops  ;  just  as, 
in  the  first-mentioned  class  of  temptations,  it  stops  with 
the  limit  or  boundary  of  the  intellectual  action.  And  in 
this  case  also,  as  well  as  in  the  other,  there  is  a  conscious 
perception  and  feeling  of  danger,  when  the  temptation 
approaches  the  boundary  in  our  desires  and  affections, 
which  it  ought  not  to  pass,  accompanied,  at  the  same 
time,  with  an  internal  and  repellent  effort  of  the  mind. 

A  single  remark  further  remains  to  be  made,  in  con- 
nection with  this  part  of  the  subject.  Looking  at  the 
subject  of  temptations  in  relation  to  the  intellect,  there 
seems  to  be  ground  for  saying,  that  we  may  properly 
make  a  distinction  between  intentions  or  thoughts  of  evil 
and  evil  thoughts.  All  wandering  and  unprofitable 
thoughts,  and  indeed,  all  thoughts  which  have  not  a 
connection,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  with  the  glory  of 
God,  are  evil,  just  so  far  as  they  are  at  the  time  under 
our  control,  and  are  susceptible  of  being  made  to  assume 
a  different  and  better  character.     But  thoughts  of  evil, 


OF    A    SANCTIFIED    HEART.  161 

that  is  to  say,  ideas  or  suggestions  of  some  evil  to  be 
done,  which  are  introduced  or  injected  into  the  mind 
from  a  source  external  to  itself,  or  which,  on  certain  oc- 
casions, arise  necessarily  and  involuntarily  in  the  mind, 
are  not  evil,  unless  they  are  consented  to  in  act  or  in  feel- 
ing. The  form  of  exppession  here  will  be  noticed,  viz., 
so  far  as  they  arise  necessarily  and  involuntarily.  If 
they  originate  in  ourselves  by  a  voluntary  movement,  and 
are  cherished  by  our  own  acts,  so  as  to  make  us  in  some 
sense  the  authors  of  our  own  temptations,  they  are  ob- 
viously of  a  very  different  character,  and  are  by  no  means 
free  from  sin. 

These  views  seem  to  present  the  general  outline  of 
the  philosophy  of  temptations  ;  although  undoubtedly 
the  subject  is  not  without  its  difficulties.  And  all  that 
now  remains  is,  to  make  a  number  of  remarks  incident- 
ally connected  with  this  general  sketch,  and  for  the  most 
part  of  a  practical  nature. 

(1.)  And  our  first  remark  is,  that,  in  the  present  life, 
all  persons,  not  excepting  those  who  are  most  advanced 
in  holiness,  are  subject  to  temptations.  Even  the  truly 
sanctified  person  is  not  exempt.  Holy  persons,  like 
others,  retain  the  attributes  appropriate  to  man's  nature  ; 
differing  from  the  same  attributes  in  others  in  this  respect 
only,  that  they  are  deprived  of  irregularities  of  action,  and 
are  entirely  subordinate  to  the  divine  will.  Accordingly, 
the  holy  person,  or  the  person  in  whom  faith  and  love  exist 
in  the  highest  degree  attainable  in  the  present  life,  hun- 
gers and  thirsts  like  any  other  person  ;  he  is  the  subject 
of  the  propensities  and  affections,  which  lay  the  founda- 
tion, and  which  furnish  the  support,  of  the  various  family 
relations  ;  he  loves  his  children,  parents,  and  other  rela- 
tives, and  is  the  subject  of  other  natural  ties  and  sympa- 
thies; he  suffers  from  fatigue  and  sickness;  he  is  grieved, 
troubled,  and  perplexed  in  various  ways  ;  and  even  dis- 
pleasure and  anger,  as  is  evident  from  what  was  witnessed 
in  the  life  of  our  Savior,  are  not  entirely  excluded. 
While,  therefore,  it  is  our  privilege,  even  in  the  present 
lite,  to  be  exempt  from  the  commission  of  voluntary  and 
14* 


162  .    ON  THE  NATURE  OF  THE  TEMPTATIONS 

known  sin,  it  does  not  appear  —  retaining,  as  we  do,  oui 
constitutional  tendencies,  and  remaining  subject  to  con- 
stitutional infirmities  —  that  we  either  have,  or  can  rea- 
sonably expect,  any  such  exemption  from  temptation. 
We  cannot  suppose  that  any  of  us,  in  the  present  life, 
can  be  in  a  better  situation  than  our  Savior,  who  was 
"without  sin,"  but  who  nevertheless  "  was  tempted  in 
all  points  as  we  are." 

(2.)  A  second  practical  remark,  proper  to  be  made  in 
connection  with  this  subject,  is  this:  It  is  hazardous  to 
estimate  lightly,  and  to  trifle  with,  temptations.  The 
person  is  greatly  wanting  in  Avisdom  who  undertakes  to 
make  a  sport  of  them,  or  who  delays  a  moment  under  the 
pressure  of  their  mfluence  when  he  can  possibly  escape. 
"  Watch  and  pray,  that  ye  enter  not  into  temptation," 
is  the  command  of  Scripture.  And  the  question  is 
well  asked  in  the  book  of  Proverbs,  vi.  27,  28,  "  Can  a 
man  take  fire  into  his  bosom  and  his  clothes  not  be 
burned  ?  Can  one  go  upon  hot  coals,  and  his  feet  not 
be  burned  ?  "  The  Christian,  who  is  desirous  of  secur- 
ing fully  the  approbation  of  his  heavenly  Father,  must 
be  careful  not  only  to  do  the  right  and  avoid  the  wrong; 
but  also  to  avoid  all  places,  and  all  occasions,  which 
would  be  likely,  for  any  reason,  to  lead  him  into  wrong. 

(3.)  We  proceed  to  observe,  in  the  third  place,  that 
temptations  will,  in  general,  be  violent  in  proportion  to 
the  decided  resistance  which  is  made  to  them.  And 
accordingly,  although  it  is  perhaps  different  from  wha 
we  should  naturally  expect,  the  more  holy  a  man  is,  the 
more  violent  at  times  will  be  the  temptations  which  he 
is  called  to  endure.  A  person,  who  yields  to  temptation 
either  in  whole  or  in  part,  which  is  very  apt  to  be  the 
case  with  those  who  are  not  wholly  devoted  to  the  Lord, 
will  not  be  likely  to  understand  its  full  power.  He  does 
not  oppose  resistance  enough  to  ascertain  the  strength  of 
the  aggressive  movement.  Satan  has  no  inducement  to 
show  his  full  strength  to  the  man  who  yields  easily. 
But  he  who  is  determined  to  sin  not  at  all,  who  had 
rather  die  than  commit  any  known  transgression,  who 


OF    A    SANCTIFIED    HEART.  163 

opposes  the  broad  and  upright  energy  of  his  whole  being 
io  the  assaults  of  Satan,  will  know  the  immense  powe^ 
of  the  terrible  enemy  that  wages  war  upon  him.  And 
It  is  the  natural  result  of  this  general  view,  that  when, 
m  the  life  of  practical  holiness,  we  have  taken  some  new 
and  untried  position,  which  for  the  first  time  we  have 
ascertained  to  be  a  true  and  a  safe  one,  and  are  under- 
taking the  discharge  of  some  new  but  obvious  duty,  we 
shall  be  likely,  in  connection  with  that  new  position,  to 
be  tried  and  tempted  very  severely.  Satan  will  drive  us 
Irom  it  if  he  can.  He  hates  holiness,  and  every  thing 
which  is  involved  in  holiness,  and  every  thing  which 
holiness  does.  He  hates  it  in  general  and  he  hates  it 
m  particulars ;  and  whoever  proposes,  in  aiming  at 
entire  holiness,  to  do  better  in  a  particular  thing,  will  be 
likely  to  find  him  in  the  attitude  of  defiance  and  resist- 
ance just  at  that  point. 

(4.)  A  fourth  remark  is,  that  it  is  the  part  of  Chris- 
tian duty  to  endeavor  to  understand  the  nature  of  temp- 
tations. And  as  included  in  this,  it  is  our  duty  to 
understand  their  specific  as  well  as  their  general  nature  ; 
m  other  words,  their  nature  in  its  application  to  ourselves 
personally.  That  which  would  be  a  temptation  to  one, 
would  not  be  so  to  another.  The  general  idea,  expiessed 
by  the  word  temptation^  embraces  not  only  the  object 
which  tempts,  but  also  the  subject  of  the  temptation. 
In  particular,  therefore,  we  should  study  the  weak  and 
comparatively  defenceless  points  in  our  character  and 
situation ;  those  particulars,  in  which  wrong  influences 
will  be  most  likely  to  have  an  eflfect  upon  us  and  lead 
us  astray. 

(5.)  We  remark,  again,  when  we  are  doubtful  as  to 
the  character  of  the  temptation,  — in  other  words,  when 
we  are  doubtful  whether  the  proposed  action  or  feeling  is 
wrong  or  not,  — we  should  be  careful  to  lay  the  subject 
before  God,  and  to  wait  for  the  instructions  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  before  indulging  in  the  desire  or  action,  whatever 
It  may  be.  We  should  remain  where  we  are  and  do 
nothing,  rather  than  run  the  hazard  of  domg  wrong. 


164      ON  THE  NATURE  OF  THE  TEMPTATIONS 

The  language  of  the  apostle  is  applicable  in  a  case  of 
this  kind:  "  Whatsoever  is  not  of  faith  [that  is,  is  not 
done  in  the  faith  or  belief  of  its  lawfulness]  is  sin." 

(6.)  A  further  remark  to  be  made  is  this :  In  seasons 
of  temptation,  it  is  highly  important  that  we  should 
remain  recollected,  and  in  the  exercise  of  true  patience 
of  spirit.  The  adversary  of  our  souls  gains  great  ad- 
vantages at  such  times,  if  he  can  succeed  in  disturbing 
our  peace.  And  in  order  to  help  us  in  retaining  this 
valuable  state  of  mind,  we  should  always  remember 
that  our  heavenly  Father  is  present  in  temptations,  as 
he  is  in  every  thing  else.  It  is  true,  he  is  not  the  tempt- 
er, but  he  permits  the  temptation  ;  and  he  permits  it, 
however  mysterious  it  may  sometimes  seem,  both  for 
our  good,  and  for  his  own  glory.  And  the  temptation, 
however  threatening  it  may  appear,  and  from  whatever 
source  it  may  come,  will  not  be  allowed  to  go  farther 
than  he  shall  see  to  be  connected  with  those  great 
objects.  This  consideration  should  have  great  influence 
with  us.  It  should  exclude  disquieting  thoughts  :  it 
should  keep  us  in  perfect  submission  and  peace,  till  the 
day  of  our  visitation  be  passed. 

(7.)  In  cases  of  especial  temptation,  we  are  protected 
and  saved  in  an  especial  manner  by  the  exercise  of 
FAITH.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  faith  is  the  great  secret  of 
our  power  ;  so  much  so  as  apparently  to  be  the  only 
method  of  quenchmg  the  fiery  darts  of  the  adversary. 
The  tempted  person,  if  he  is  in  the  exercise  of  grace 
adequate  to  the  occasion,  instantaneously  ofi'ers  up  the 
prayer  of  faith.  He  exclaims,  in  spirit  at  least,  if  not  in 
language,  "  Preserve  me,  O  God,  in  this  hour  of  need." 
"  Spare  me  and  help  me  in  this  time  of  trial."  "Leave 
me  not  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  my  great  enemy."  He 
not  only  desires  this  assistance,  which  is  one  element 
of  the  prayer  of  faith ;  but,  what  is  equally  important, 
he  believes  that  God  hears ;  and  that,  in  accordance 
with  many  promises,  such  as  "his  grace  is  sufficient  for 
us,"  and  that  he  "  will  not  suffer  us  to  be  tempted  be- 
yond what  we  are  abb  to  bear,"  he  is  in  fact  present 


OF    A    SANCTIFIED    HEART.  165 

with  him  to  aid,  protect,  and  bless.  This  is  especially 
true  of  the  person  who  has  experienced  the  eminent 
grace  of  interior  sanctification.  Having  learned  to  live 
by  faith,  which  to  many  is  a  new  and  hidden  way  of 
living,  his  prayer  ascends  to  the  throne  of  God  with 
great  rapidity,  so  that  it  meets  and  confronts  the  tempta- 
tion almost  as  soon  as  it  is  presented  to  his  thoughts. 
And  not  only  this,  being  the  prayer  of  living  faith,  u 
is  a  mighty  prayer.  It  is  true,  it  is  exceedingly  simple 
in  object  and  in  words,  being,  in  this  respect,  modelled 
upon  the  Lord's  prayer  ;  but  it  has  power  with  God  j  it 
touches  the  heart  of  everlasting  Love ;  and,  if  we  may 
be  allowed  the  expression,  it  draws  down  upon  his  soul 
the  shield  and  covering  of  a  Savior's  blood.  It  is  in 
that  fountain,  in  that  precious  blood,  and  not  in  the 
mere  deadness  and  coldness  of  his  affections,  that  the 
fiery  darts  of  the  adversary  are  quenched. 

(8.)  We  would  remark,  again,  that  the  grace,  which 
may  meet  and  subdue  the  temptations  of  the  present 
moment,  may  not  be  appropriate  and  adequate  to  the 
temptations  of  any  future  time.  Every  day  and  every 
moment  bring  their  duties  and  trials,  and  need  their 
appropriate  grace.  There  must,  therefore,  be  constantly 
repeated  acts  of  faith ;  and,  by  means  of  faith,  a  constant 
application  of  the  atoning  efficacy  of  the  blood  of  the 
Cross  ;  both  to  preserve  against  the  power  of  existing 
temptation,  and  also  to  wash  the  mind  from  the  impurity 
of  its  stains,  when  we  have  already  yielded  to  it. 

We  would  observe,  finally,  that  temptations  are  profit- 
able trials  of  the  religious  life,  and  are  particularly  cal- 
culated to  purify  and  strengthen  our  faith.  They  are 
grievous  for  a  time,  it  is  true ;  but  they  are  calculated  to 
secure,  in  the  end,  the  peaceable  fruits  of  righteousness. 
Very  few  have  become  strong  in  faith,  who  have  not 
passed  through  great  trials.  It  is  said  of  the  Savior 
himself,  that  he  "learned  obedience  by  the  things  which 
he  suffered." 


167 


PART   SECOND. 


THE  LIFE   OF   FAITH  AND  LOVE 


FOLLOWED    RY    THE 


CRUCIFIXION    OF   THE   LIFE    OF   NATURE. 


169 


CHAPTER   FIRST. 

0>J   THE   DISTINCTION   BETWEEN  JUSTIFICATION    AND 
SANCTIFICATION. 


The  life  of  faith  and  love,  when  introduced  into  the 
heart,  is  not  inoperative.  Its  introduction  there  is  the 
signal  for  an  inward  war,  because  it  meets  with  an  an- 
tagonistical  life,  the  corrupt  life  of  nature.  The  twc 
have  nothing  in  common  ;  and,  therefore,  they  cannot 
be  in  each  other's  presence  without  a  conflict.  But 
before  entering  into  the  particulars  of  this  inward  strug- 
gle, which,  if  the  soul  becomes  truly  sanctified,  must 
necessarily  result  in  the  death  of  nature,  we  propose  to 
delay  a  few  moments  for  the  purpose  of  considering  the 
relation  between  Sanctification  and  Justification. 

Justification  and  Sanctification,  it  is  generally  conce- 
ded, are  different  from  each  other;  and  yet  it  is  well 
known  that  they  have  sometimes  been  confounded  by 
writers  who  have  bestowed  some  examination  upon 
them,  as  if  they  were  one  and  the  same  thing.  Nor  is 
it  altogether  surprising  that  this  should  be  the  case, 
when  we  consider  that  there  is  one  leading  idea  which 
is  common  to  both  ;  we  mean,  the  idea  or  principle  of 
entire  submission.  In  both  cases,  impressed  with  a  sense 
of  our  own  unvvorthiness  and  nothingness,  we  must  be 
sincerely  willing,  in  the  spirit  of  entire  submissiveness, 
to  receive  all  from  God  ;  and  must  receive  it  also  instru- 
mentally  in  the  same  way,  viz.,  hy  faith.  Nevertheless, 
there  are  some  important  points  of  distinction  in  the 
two  things,  which  are  inconsistent  with  their  being 
regarded  as  truly  identical.  And  we  may  add,  it  is  very 
important,  for  various  reasons,  both  theological  and 
practical,  that  the  distinctior.  should  be  generally  under- 
15 


170  ON    THE    DISTlNC^iON    BETWEEN 

Stood  and  maintained.  If  the  idea  should  become  prev- 
alent, that  justification  and  sanctification  are  the  same 
thing,  it  would  involve  the  subject  of  sanctification,  and 
perhaps  that  of  justification,  in  much  confusion.  It 
would  be  necessary  that  new  ideas  should  be  established, 
and  that  new  forms  of  speech  should  be  introduced ; 
and  one  unhappy  consequence,  among  others,  would  be, 
that  some,  who  are  seeking  the  blessing  of  holiness, 
would  become  perplexed  and  discouraged. 

(1.)  Among  other  grounds  of  distinction  between  the 
two,  it  may  be  remarked  that  justification,  while  it 
does  not  exclude  the  present,  has  special  reference  to 
the  past,  and  does  not  appear  to  have  that  prospective 
bearing  which  sanctification  has.  Sanctification,  on 
the  contrary,  starting  on  the  basis  of  justification,  and 
regarding  the  past  as  cancelled  and  settled  in  the  justi- 
ficatory application  of  the  Atonement,  has  practically 
an  exclusive  reference  to  the  present  and  future.  Justi- 
fication inquires.  How  shall  the  sin  which  is  past  be 
forgiven  ?  Sanctification  inquires.  How  shall  we  be 
kept  from  sin  in  time  to  come  ?  Considered,  therefore, 
in  their  relation  to  time,  there  is  good  reason  for  saying 
that  they  ought  not  to  be  confounded  together. 

(2. )  Another  mark  of  difference  is  this :  Justifica- 
tion, in  its  result  upon  individuals,  removes  the  con- 
demnatory power  or  guilt  of  sin ;  while  sanctification 
removes  the  power  of  sin  itself.  He  who  is  justified 
no  longer  stands  in  a  state  of  condemnation,  in  relation 
to  all  those  past  sins  from  which  he  is  justified  ;  but  he 
that  is  sanctified,  just  in  proportion  that  he  is  so,  is 
freed  from  the  influence  of  that  which  brings  con- 
demnation, viz.,  sin  itself.  Or  the  distinction  may  be 
concisely  expressed  in  other  terms,  amounting  essentially 
to  the  same  thing,  as  follows :  The  object  of  justifica- 
tion, considered  in  reference  to  the  law,  is  to  free  us 
from  condemnation.  The  object  of  sanctification,  con- 
sidered in  reference  to  the  law,  is  to  secure  conformity 
to  it. 

(3.)   Justification  and  sanctification  are  distinct,  also 


JLSXIFICAIION    AND    SANCTIFICATION.  171 

when  considered  in  the  order  in  which  they  present 
themselves,  as  subjects  of  thought  and  interest,  to  the 
human  mind.  It  is  very  obvious  that,  in  the  first  in- 
stance, they  present  themselves  consecutively  and  sep- 
arately, and  not  simultaneously  and  identically.  It  is 
not  the  first  cry  of  the  sinner,  that  he  may  be  sanctified, 
])Ut  that  he  may  be  forgiven.  It  is  his  past  sins  whicli 
stare  him  in  the  face.  It  is  his  past  sins  which  must 
be  washed  away.  And  until  this  is  done,  and  at  the  feet 
of  Jesus  he  has  received  the  remission  of  his  trans- 
gressions, he  has  no  other  desire,  no  other  thought. 
But  when  he  has  experienced  a  release  from  the  bitter 
memory  of  the  past,  and  has  felt  the  rising  hope  of 
forgiveness,  and  ilot  till  then,  is  his  mind  occupied  with 
the  distinct  subject  of  the  reality,  the  obligation,  and 
the  blessedness,  of  a  holy  heart,  in  all  time  to  come. 

(4.)  There  is  also  a  distinction  when  the  matter  is 
considered  in  reference  to  Christ.  Christ  is  our  justifi- 
cation, considered  as  hanging  upon  the  cross,  and  en- 
during the  penalty  of  the  law  for  us.  In  other  words, 
Christ  is  our  justification  by  standing  in  our  stead,  and 
receiving  in  his  own  person  the  stripes  and  chastise- 
ment by  which  those  who  have  sinned  are  healed. 
Christ  is  our  sanctification,  (that  is,  the  cause  or  ground 
of  our  sanctification,)  considered  as  operating  and  living 
m  us  by  the  present  and  efiicacious  influences  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  which  he  has  purchased  by  his  blood.  In 
both  cases,  Christ  is  the  ground,  or  efficacious  cause,  of 
the  result ;  and  in  both  cases,  also,  there  is  something 
done  inwardly  as  well  as  outwardly.  But  it  is  never- 
theless true  that,  in  justification,  the  work  which  is 
done  is  done  in  a  peculiar  sense  exteriorly,  or  tor  men ; 
while  the  work  of  sanctification  is  done,  in  an  equally 
peculiar  and  emphatic  sense,  interiorly,  or  within  them. 

(5.)  Another  mark  of  distinction  is,  that  sanctifi- 
cation is  regarded,  and  very  properly  regarded,  as  an 
evidence  of  justification.  They  have  not  only  the  re- 
lation of  antecedence  and  sequence  in  the  order  of  time, 
but  the  additional  and  incidental  relation  of  fact  and  evi- 


172  ON    THE    DISTINCTION    BETWEEN 

dence.  In  other  words,  the  sanctification  cf  a  person 
holds  the  relation  of  evidence  or  proof  to  the  alleged 
fact  of  his  being  justified.  That  there  is  good  founda- 
tion for  this  view,  additional  to  its  innate  reasonable- 
ness, seems  to  be  evident  from  the  repeated  instructions 
of  the  Savior,  that  men  are  known  by  their  fruits. 
And  certainly  we  may  most  reasonably  expect,  that  he 
who  has  been  justified  will  aim  to  bear  the  fruits  of  a 
holy  life.  Having  been  instructed  by  the  Holy  Spirit 
in  the  nature  and  tendencies  of  sin,  and  having  found 
in  the  gospel  that  redemption  which  he  could  find  no- 
where else,  how  is  it  possible  that  he  should  again  sin 
against  God  ?  Hence  it  is  that  he  seeks  for  sanctifying 
grace,  and  endeavors  to  purify  himself'  from  every  form 
of  iniquity.  And  it  is  a  matter  of  common  and  agreed 
opinion,  that  he  who  is  careless,  in  respect  to  sanctifi- 
cation, has  no  satisfactory  evidence  that  he  is  truly 
justified. 

(6.)  In  the  sixth  place,  justification,  when  it  has 
taken  effect,  is  a  thing  which  is  done  or  completed;  at 
least,  in  such  a  sense  as  to  exclude  the  idea  of  its  being 
a  progressive  work.  As  we  have  already  stated,  it  looks 
only  to  the  past ;  but  in  its  relation  to  the  past  it  is 
complete.  The  result  of  its  application,  in  any  given 
case,  is,  that  the  multiplied  sins  which  have  been  com- 
mitted in  former  times  are  blotted  out.  If  we  sin  at 
the  present  moment,  and  justification  is  immediately 
applied,  it  is  still  true  that  the  sin,  in  the  order  of  na- 
ture, and  in  reference  to  the  time  of  justification,  howev- 
er closely  the  justification  may  follow  the  sinful  act,  is 
a  past  sin.  Justification  must  necessarily  be  subsequent  ; 
and  consequently,  the  sin,  relatively  to  the  time  of  justi- 
fication, must  necessarily  be  past,  even  in  those  cases  in 
which,  in  common  parlance,  we  speak  of  the  sin  as  a 
present  sin.  The  work  of  justification,  therefore,  when 
it  has  once  taken  place,  is  a  thing  complete  in  itself, 
and  is  not  in  its  own  nature  susceptible  cf  progress, 
although  it  may  be  necessary  to  have  it  repeated  in 
every  succeeding  moment. 


JUSTIFICATION    AND    SANvJTIFIC  ATION.  173 

Sanctification,  on  the  other  hand,  is  a  thing  which  is 
indweUing,  permanent,  and  always  progressive.  It  is  not 
only  progressive  "until  all  the  evils  of  the  heart  are  sub- 
dued ;  but  even  when  it  is  in  some  degree  complete,  — 
so  much  so  as  to  occupy  the  whole  extent  of  our  being, 
and  to  substitute  in  the  heart  every  where  good  for  evil, 
—  it  is  still  progressive  in  degree.  So  that,  in  those 
cases  where  we  speak  of  sanctification  as  entire,  it  is  still 
true  that  its  entireness  is  not  such  as  to  exclude  progress. 
There  will  never  be  a  period,  either  in  time  or  eternity, 
when  there  may  not  be  an  increase  of  holy  love. 

(7.)  The  distinction  is  evidently  made  in  the  Scrip- 
tures. The  passages  of  Scripture  where  it  is  clearly  recog- 
nized are  so  numerous,  and  so  familiar  to  attentive  readers 
of  the  Bible,  that  it  seems  to  be  hardly  necessary  to  quote 
them  at  any  great  length.  "  And  the  very  God  of  peace," 
says  the  apostle,  1  Thess.  v.  23,  "  sanctify  you  wholly ; 
and  I  pray  God  your  whole  spirit,  and  soul,  and  body,  be 
preserved  blameless  unto  the  coming  of'  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ."  And  again,  2  Cor.  vii.  1 :  "Having,  therefore, 
these  promises,  dearly  beloved,  let  us  cleanse  ourselves 
from  all  filthiness  of  the  flesh  and  spirit,  perfecting  holi- 
ness in  the  fear  of  God."  It  is  very  evident,  from  the  gen- 
eral tenor  of  the  apostle's  communications  to  them,  that 
these  exhortations  were  addressed  to  those  whom  he 
regarded,  and  had  reason  to  regard,  as  justified  persons. 
He  felt,  nevertheless,  although  they  were  justified,  — 
although  their  past  sins  were  blotted  out,  —  that  there  was 
much  remaining  to  be  done  in  the  matter  of  their  present 
and  prospective  sanctification.  Hence  his  exhortations  to 
preserve  their  bodies  blameless,  to  cleanse  themselves,  and 
to  perfect  holiness  in  the  fear  of  God  ;  which  would  have 
been  unnecessary,  if  he  had  considered  the  work  of  sanc- 
tification as  absolutely  and  necessarily  involved  in  that  of 
justification.  There  are,  also,  a  number  of  passages,  dif- 
ferent in  their  import  from  those  which  have  been  par- 
ticularly referred  to,  which  seem  to  involve  the  distinc- 
tion in  question  ;  those,  in  which  persons  are  spoken  of 
as  disciples  or  believers,  but  without  having  received  thp 
15* 


174  ON    THE    DISTINCTION    BETWEEN 

gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  —  such  as  John  vii.  39;  Acts 
viii.   15 — 17  ;  Acts  xix.  1,  2. 

The  distinction  which  is  made,  in  the  Scriptures, 
between  the  two,  is  regarded  so  obvious  and  incontro- 
v^ertible  by  most  writers,  that  it  has  naturally  passed,  as 
an  established  truth,  into  treatises  on  theology.  It  is 
also  recognized  almost  constantly  in  sermons,  and  in 
religious  exhortations  and  conversation.  There  is,  per- 
haps, as  much  unanimity  among  religious  men  on  this 
subject  as  on  almost  any  subject  of  theological  inquiry. 
And  the  attempt  to  confound  justification  and  sanctifi- 
cation  together,  which  has  been  made  from  time  to  time, 
would  necessarily  tend,  if  it  were  successful,  to  perplex 
and  confuse  the  established  forms  of  speech  among  men, 
as  well  as  the  authorized  and  scriptural  modes  of  re- 
ligious thought. 

We  remark,  in  conclusion,  that  although  these  two 
states  of  religious  experience  are  distinct  from  each  other, 
they  nevertheless  may  be  regarded  as  having  something 
in  common,  which  establishes  an  intimate  relationship 
between  them.  This  fact  has  already  been  alluded  to. 
In  both  cases,  in  sanctification  as  well  as  in  justification, 
we  ultimately  receive  every  thing  from  Christ.  And  we 
are  obliged,  also,  in  both  cases,  to  receive  it  in  that  meek 
and  submissive  spirit  which  recognizes  our  own  unwor- 
thiness  and  nothingness.  Every  thing  is  received,  also, 
through  the  same  channel,  viz.,  by  faith.  We  may  say, 
further,  that  there  can  be  no  such  thing  as  sanctification 
without  antecedent  justification.  The  latter  may  be 
considered  as  the  commencement,  or  first  coming,  of  that 
hidden  life  in  the  soul,  which  is  completed  in  the  former. 
We  are  not  to  suppose,  however,  because  there  are  some 
things  common  to  justification  and  sanctification,  and 
because  they  are  in  some  respects  closely  related,  that 
they  are,  therefore,  the  same  thing.  This  would  be  a 
very  unsafe  mode  of  argument.  There  are  some  things 
common  to  memor/  and  reasoning,  and  yet  memory  and 
reasoning  are  distinct.  There  are  some  things  common 
to  reasoning  and  imagination,  and  yet  there  can  be  no 


JUSTIFICATION    AND    3ANCTIFICATI0N.  175 

doubt  that  they  are  very  distinct  departments  of  the 
mind.  There  is  a  close  connection  between  liberty  and 
power ;  for  instance,  where  there  is  no  power  there  can 
be  no  liberty;  yet  they  ought  not  to  be  confounded 
together.  There  are  some  things  common  to  faith  and 
love,  or  which  connect  them  together  in  some  way, 
(such  as  that  they  are  both  the  gift  of  God,  and  that 
faith  acts  by  love,)  and  yet  all  agree  that  they  cannot  be 
considered  as  identical ;  and  thus  justification  and  sanc- 
tification,  although  they  are  closely  connected,  are  never- 
theless two  things,  and  the  distinction  between  them  is 
a  very  important  one. 

Let  us,  therefore,  who  humbly  hope  that  we  are  justi- 
fied by  the  blood  of  Christ,  seek  also  to  be  sanctified. 
Let  it  not  b&  sufficient  for  us  that  our  sins  have  been 
forgiven  ;  but  let  us  strive  to  gain  the  victory  over  sin, 
and  to  exclude  it  from  the  heart  in  all  future  time.  Well 
may  we  exclaim,  in  the  gratitude  of  our  hearts.  Praise  be 
for  that  grace  which  sanctifies,  as  well  as  for  that  which 
justifies ;  for  that  which  keeps  the  heart  clean  in  time  to 
come,  as  well  as  for  that  which  washes  away  the  stains 
of  the  past !  It  is  holiness  which  adds  its  highest  value 
and  its  transcendent  beauty,  to  forgiveness. 


'«  O  FOR  a  heart  to  praise  my  God  ; 

A  heart  from  sin  set  free  ; 
A  heart  that  always  feels  thy  blood, 

So  freely  spilt  for  me  ;  — 

"  A  heart  in  every  thought  renewed, 

And  full  of  love  divine  ; 
Perfect  and  right,  and  pure  and  good  ; 

A  copy,  Lord,  of  thine '.  ' 


176 


CHAPTER    SECOND. 


REMARKS    ON    UNRESTRAINED     AND     INORDINATE 
DESIRES. 

If  it  is  our  purpose  to  devote  ourselves  to  the  Lord 
without  reserve,  it  is  important  that  we  should  look  seri- 
ously and  closely  into  the  nature  and  degree  of  our 
Desires.  It  is  true,  desires  are  an  essential  part  of  oui 
nature.  As  natural  principles,  such  as  the  desire  of  life, 
the  desire  of  food,  the  desire  of  knowledge,  the  desire  of 
society,  they  have  their  place,  their  laws,  then-  uses. 
But  the  difficulty  is,  that  in  the  natural  man,  and  also 
in  the  partially  sanctified  man,  they  are  not  adequately 
superintended  and  controlled  by  the  prmciple  of  divine 
love.  They  muliiply  themselves  beyond  due  limits: 
they  are  often  self-interested,  inordinate,  and  evil ;  so 
much  so  as  sometimes  to  bring  the  whole  man  into  sub- 
jection. Desires  thus  inordinate  and  selfish,  which  are 
characterized,  among  other  things,  by  the  fatal  trait  of 
inward  agitation  and  restlessness,  cannot  be  too  much 
guarded  against. 

In  support  of  the  remark  which  has  just  been  made 
we  proceed  to  observe,  iti  the  first  place,  that  unrestrained 
desires  always  imply  guilt.  The  man  whose  desires 
are  unrestrained,  is  a  man  that  chooses  to  have  his  own 
way;  lives  his  own  life  ;  operates  upon  his  own  stock  ; 
and,  in  a  word,  claims  to  be  a  god  in  his  own  right.  It 
is  obvious  that,  under  a  divine  government,  there  can  be 
no  virtue  without  subordination.  The  moment,  there- 
fore, that  the  desire,  which  is  inherent  in  any  creature, 
gets  the  ascendency,  and  violates  the  law  of  obedience  to 
the  Supreme  Ruler,  that  moment  he  is  no  longer  the 
same  being ;  but  has  undergone  a  change,  as  fatal  as  i^ 


REMARKS    ON    INORDINATE    DESIRES.  177 

IS  sudden,  from  truth  to  falsehood,  and  from  honor  to 
guilt.  How  important  is  it,  then,  that  the  natural  desires 
should  be  checked  and  subdued ;  and  that  they  should 
be  subdued  to  that  point  where  they  shall  be  practically 
lost  in  the  one  preeminent  and  gracious  desire  of  know- 
ing and  doing  the  will  of  God  ! 

(2.)  We  should  guard  against  irregular  desires,  not 
only  because  they  imply  guilt,  but  because  they  tend  to 
render  one  miserable.  The  laws  of  the  mind  are  such, 
that  irregular  and  inordinate  desires  can  never  be  fully 
and  permanently  gratified.  If  they  meet  with  a  present 
gratification,  they  always  lay  the  foundation  for  their 
own  reexistence,  in  the  shape  of  subsequent  and  still 
stronger  desires,  which  will  fail  of  being  gratified.  A 
mind  which  is  under  the  dominion  of  such  urgent  but 
ungratified  desires,  can  never  be  at  rest  —  can  never  be 
happy.  It  is  inwardly  goaded  onward,  without  the  pos- 
sibility of  consolation  and  peace. 

And  it  is  in  this  manner  that  Satan,  impelled  by 
desires  which  aim  at  supreme  dominion,  without  the 
possibility  of  ever  being  satisfied,  is  consumed  inwardly 
and  forever  by  a  flame  that  can  never  be  extinguished. 
This,  it  is  true,  is  not  the  only  source  of  his  misery ; 
but  it  is  a  principal  one.  Desires,  therefore,  conform, 
in  this  respect,  to  the  universal  law  —  viz.,  that  guilt 
always  brings  misery.  Have  we  not,  then,  sufficient  rea- 
son for  saying,  that  all  irregular  and  inordinate  desires 
should  be  especially  guarded  against  ? 

(3.)  We  remark,  again,  that  all  irregular  and  un- 
sanctified  desires  stand  directly  in  the  way  of  the  opera- 
tions of  the  Spirit  of  God  upon  the  soul ;  the  obstacle 
they  present  being  in  proportion  to  the  strength  of  the 
desire.  God,  in  the  person  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  would 
immediately  set  up  his  dominion  in  all  hearts,  were  it 
not  for  the  obstacle  presented  by  desires.  God  loves 
his  creatures  ;  and  he  wants  nothing  of  us  but  that  we 
should  remove  the  obstacles  which  shut  him  out  of  our 
hearts.  It  is  self-evident  that  desires  and  purposes  of 
our  own,  in  distinction  from  God's  desires  and  purposes. 


178  REMARKS    ON    INORDINATE    DESIRES. 

—  inasmuch  as  tlicy  are  not  in  the  position  of  obedience, 
and  are  not  in  the  hne  of  God's  inward  movements,  — 
are  incompatible  with  liis  dominion  in  the  soul. 

If,  therefore,  we  would  be  without  guilt  and  misery, 

—  if  we  would  enjoy  renovation  and  liberty  of  spirit, 
and  would  have  God  enthroned  in  our  hearts,  as  our 
king  and  sovereign,  —  we  must  cease  from  desires  ;  that 
is  to  say,  we  must  cease  from  natural  or  unsanctified 
desires.  We  must  desire  nothing,  on  the  one  hand,  out 
of  the  will  of  God  ;  and  must  refuse  nothing,  on  the 
other,  that  happens  to  us  in  conformity  to  his  will.  And 
it  is  thus,  and  thus  only,  that  God  can  become  to  us  an 
indwelling  and  paramount  principle  of  life  and  action  — 
our  All  in  All. 


179 


CHAPTER   THIRD. 

ON    THE    PROPER     REGULATION    OF    THE    APPETITES. 


In  connection  with  the  views  which  have  been  pre- 
sented in  the  preceding  chapter,  it  is  to  be  remembered, 
that  the  leading  Appetites  and  Propensities,  in  their  spe- 
cific forms,  are  but  so  many  modifications  of  desire  ;  and 
if  it  is  acknowledged  to  be  important  that  the  desires 
should  be  properly  regulated,  it  is  equally  important  that 
the  specific  appetites  and  propensities,  into  which  desire, 
under  the  appropriate  circumstances,  modifies  itself, 
should  be  subjected  to  a  similar  regulation.  And  the 
same  general  remark  will  apply  to  the  Afi'ections  also,  as 
well  as  to  the  appetites  and  the  propensive  principles ; 
inasmuch  as  the  afiections  are  known  to  be  characterized 
by  desire,  as  an  essential  and  leading  element,  and  are 
susceptible  of  an  inordinate  action. 

(1.)  In  the  few  observations  which  we  propose  tc 
make  on  the  subject  of  the  appetites,  at  the  present  time, 
our  first  remark  is  this  :  The  appetites  are  good  in  theii 
appropriate  place ;  but  when  they  are  not  properly  regu- 
lated, by  being  restricted  to  their  appropriate  occasions 
and  objects,  they  are  the  source  of  great  evil.  I  believe 
it  is  generally  admitted,  that  the  undue  indulgence  ot 
the  appetites  —  the  "  lower  passions,"  as  they  are  some- 
times denominated  —  is  the  true  source  of  inward  im- 
purity ;  a  state  of  mind  which,  it  is  to  be  feared,  most 
persons  know  by  melancholy  experience  better  than  it 
can  be  illustrated  by  any  description.  Men  speak  of  the 
appetites  in  terms  which  obviously  indicate  their  con- 
victions on  this  subject.  They  speak  of  them,  whenever 
they  operate  out  of  their  appropriate  sphere  and  degree^  as 


180  ON  THE  PROPER  REGULATION 

low  degrading,  and  polluting;  and  compare  those,  who 
thus  indulge  in  them,  to  the  swine  that  wallow  in  the 
mire. 

There  is  also  sometliing  in  one's  consciousness  which 
supports  this  view.  When  the  appetites  are  entirely 
subdued,  and  kept  in  their  place,  the  subject  of  them  — 
at  least  so  far  as  the  appetites  are  concerned  —  feels  that 
he  is  pure  in  heart.  But  when  it  is  otherwise,  there  is 
a  sense,  not  only  of  guilt,  but  of  degradation  ;  there  is 
an  inward  consciousness  of  what  may  be  termed,  meta- 
phorically, a  stain  or  blot  upon  the  mind.  The  soul 
feels  itself,  in  the  experience  of  its  own  state,  to  be  very 
different  from  what  it  is  at  other  times.  The  holy  soul 
may  be  likened  to  a  mirror,  into  which  God  may  look, 
and  behold  the  features  of  his  own  character  reflected. 
But  when  it  yields  itself  to  the  undue  influence  of  the 
appetites,  the  mirror  becomes  stained  and  darkened,  and 
God  is  no  longer  seen  in  it. 

(2.)  In  accordance  with  these  views,  a  person  may 
become  impure — as,  in  point  of  fact,  many  do  become 
impure  —  by  the  inordinate  indulgence  of  the  appetite 
for  food  and  drink.  Tiie  Savior  ate  and  drank  without 
prejudice  to  his  holiness,  because  he  did  so  in  fulfilment 
of  the  laws  of  nature.  The  truly  devoted  followers  ot 
the  Savior  will  endeavor  to  imitate  his  example  in  this 
respect.  "  I  felt  no  disposition,"  says  the  pious  Brainerd, 
'•  to  eat  and  drink  for  the  sake  of  the  pleasure  of  it  ;  but 
only  to  support  my  nature,  and  to  fit  me  for  divine  ser- 
vice." It  may  perhaps  be  properly  added,  that  even 
heathenism,  which  thus  utters  a  voice  to  teach  and  re- 
prove an  imperfect  Chiistianity,  can  furnish  us  a  lesson 
on  tliis  subject.  It  is  said  of  Hannibal,  the  celebrated 
Carthaginian  commander,  that,  in  the  use  of  food  and 
drink,  he  consulted  merely  the  real  wants  of  the  physical 
system,  without  any  regard  to  the  suggestions  of  sen- 
sual pleasure.  In  the  language  of  the  Roman  historian, 
"  Cihi potionisqiie  dcsiderio  naturali^  non  voliiptnte,  mo- 
dus finitusJ''  This  fact,  among  other  striking  traits  o 
character,  is  obviously  mentioned  as  a  ground  of  corn 


OF    THE    APPETITES.  181 

mendatiou  by  the  historian,  who,  heathen  as  he  was,  1 
as  well  as  the  celebrated  subject  of  his  remarks,  seems 
to  have  had  a  clear  perception  of  the  intentions  of  nature. 

Happy  would  it  be,  if  such  views  and  practices  more 
generally  prevailed.  But  it  is  a  painful  truth  that  mul 
titudes  of  persons,  and  some  even  of  those  who  claim 
to  be  the  Savior's  followers,  pollute  themselves  by  ta- 
king food,  not  for  the  sake  of  the  food,  and  in  the  fulfil- 
ment of  the  intentions  of  nature,  but  for  the  sake  of  the 
pleasure  which  it  gives  —  making  the  pleasure  the  ulti- 
mate, and  oftentimes  the  sole  object.  In  other  words, 
they  eat  and  drink  for  their  lust's  sake.  They  do  not 
eat  and  drink  because  it  is  necessary  to  support  nature,  — 
an  important  object,  which,  when  properly  kept  in  view, 
has  a  tendency  to  limit  the  quality  and  quantity  of  the 
articles  taken,  —  but  in  order  that  they  may  gratify  their 
selfish  propensities.  Such  are  the  persons  that  are 
properly  dcnom'maied  impure  ;  and  they  feel  themselves 
to  be  so.  The  superabundance  of  the  flesh,  nourished 
by  meats  and  drinks  stimulating  in  their  nature,  and 
inordinate  in  quantity,  seems  to  spread  a  coat  of  its  dark 
and  unseemly  accretion  over  the  mind  itself.  The 
amount  of  impurity  which  results  from  this  source  is 
immense,  and  will  abundantly  account  for  the  lamenta- 
tions of  many  persons  over  their  spiritual  leanness. 

(3.)  One  of  the  principles,  coming  under  the  denom- 
ination of  the  appetites,  is  that  which  results  from  the 
relation  of  the  sexes.  A  serious  mind  —  certainly  one 
that  is  disposed  to  recognize  the  benevolent  hand  of  God 
in  all  his  works  —  will  not  be  inclined  to  speak  in  terms 
of  disparagement  of  this  appetite,  which,  in  an  important 
sense,  is  the  foundation  of  the  family  state.  But  sin, 
which  has  spread  its  poison  every  where,  has  converted 
that  which  was  designed  for  good,  and  nothing  but 
good,  into  a  source  of  evil.  Every  desire,  founded  upon 
the  relation  of  the  sexes,  which  is  not  in  accordance 
with  the  providence  and  the  will  of  God,  leaves  a  stain 
upon  the  mind's  purity,  and  is  at  war  with  holiness. 
But  it  is  necessary  merely  to  allude  to  the  dangers  from 
16 


182         REGULATION  OF  THE  APPETITES. 

this  source.  The  holy  mind,  which  appreciates  the  im- 
portance of  watchfuhiess  in  every  direction,  will  not 
be  inattentive  to  the  perplexities  and  hazards  which 
exist  here.  A  single  emotion,  at  variance  with  entire 
purity  of  heart,  is  inconsistent,  so  long  as  it  exists,  with 
communion  with  God,  and  with  his  favor. 

(4.)  We  leave  this  subject  with  one  or  two  observa- 
tions more.  In  connection  with  what  has  been  re- 
marked, we  are  naturally  led  to  urge  upon  all  persons, 
who  wish  to  live  a  life  of  true  holiness,  the  great  impor- 
tance of  living  in  such  a  maimer,  in  the  exercise  and 
indulgence  of  the  appetites,  as  to  fulfil,  and  nothiug 
more  than  fulfil,  the  intentions  of  nature  ;  or  rather  the 
intentions  of  the  wise  and  benevolent  Author  of  nature. 
/  The  life  of  God  in  the  soul  has  a  much  closer  conncc- 
I  tion  with  modes  of  living  than  is  generally  supposed. 
If  Christians,  instead  of  indulging  and  pampering  the 
appetite  for  meats  and  drinks,  would  be  satisfied  with 
simple  nourishment,  and  with  that  small  quantity  which 
is  adequate  to  all  the  purposes  of  nature,  what  abundant 
blessings  would  infallibly  result  both  to  body  and  mind! 
Many  dark  hours,  which  are  now  the  subject  of  sad 
complaints,  on  the  part  of  professed  Christians,  would 
be  exchanged  for  bright  ones.  God  would  then  reveal 
his  face  of  afl!ectionate  love,  which  it  is  impossible  for 
him  to  do  to  those  who  enslave  themselves  in  this  man- 
ner. And  in  relation  to  any  other  principles,  which 
properly  come  under  the  head  of  the  appetites, — ben- 
eficial and  important  as  they  undoubtedly  are  in  their 
place,  —  if  they  could  be  restrained  to  the  purposes  and 
the  limits  which  their  Author  has  assigned,  it  would 
certainly  make  a  vast  difierence  in  the  relative  amount 
of  sin  and  holiness,  of  suffering  and  happiness,  in  the 
world 

Christian,  think  of  these  things  !  Ye  who  seek  the 
experience,  the  indispensable  and  blessed  experience,  of 
holiness  of  heart,  earnestly  make  them  the  subject  of 
reflection  and  prayer.  "  Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart, 
for  they  shall  see  God."  "  Whether  ye  eat  or  drink,  or 
whatsoever  ye  do.  do  all  to  the  glory  of  God." 


1S3 


CHAPTER  FOURTH. 

;>.V  THE  NATURE   AND   REGULATION   OF  THE   PROPEN 
SIVE  PRINCIPLES. 


There  is  another  class  of  principles,  which  may  be 
considered,  for  a  number  of  reasons,  as  coming  under  the 
general  head  of  desires  ;  but  which  are  obviously  differ- 
ent, in  some  respects,  from  that  modification  of  desire 
which  bears  the  name  of  the  appetites.  These  princi- 
ples, which,  in  order  to  distinguish  them  from  the  appe- 
tites, are  denominated  the  Propensities  or  Propensive 
Principles,  seem  to  be  less  dependent  for  their  existence 
and  exercise  upon  the  condition  of  the  physical  system 
than  the  appetites  are.  Removed,  in  some  degree,  from 
the  outward  senses,  which  are  the  basis  of  the  action  of 
the  appetites,  they  obviously  sustain  a  closer  affinity  to 
the  higher  and  more  important  principles  of  our  nature  ; 
and  accordingly,  in  the  general  estimation  which  is  at- 
tached to  the  different  parts  of  our  mental  constitution, 
they  are  regarded  as  holding  a  higher  rank.  Some  of 
the  principles  which  come  under  this  general  head  (for 
it  is  not  necessary  to  enumerate  them  all,  and  still  less 
necessary  to  go  into  a  particular  examination  of  them) 
are  the  principle  of  self-preservation  or  the  desire  of  con- 
tinued existence,  curiosity  or  the  desire  of  knowledge, 
sociality  or  the  desire  of  society,  self-love  or  the  desire  of 
happiness,  the  desire  of  esteem,  and  some  others. 

Religion  can  never  be  regarded  as  having  taken  up 
its  abode  in  the  heart,  and  as  having  become  a  permanent 
and  paramount  element  of  our  inward  being,  without 
reaching  these  principles,  and  without  checking  their  in- 
ordinate tendencies,  and  bringing  them  back  to  the  origi- 


184 


ON  THE  NATURE  AND  REGULATION 


nal  measurement  of  a  subordinate  and  holy  action  h 
IS  certainly  not  too  much  to  say,  that  we  are  accounta- 
ble to  God,  strictly  and  fully  accountable,  for  the  exer- 
cise of  the  social  feelings,  for  the  exercise  of  the  princi- 
ple of  curiosity  or  the  desire  of  knowledge,  and  of  other 
propcnsive  principles,  as  well  as  for  the  indulgence  of  the 
appetites,  or  the  exercise  of  any  other  inward  act  or 
tendency  of  which  we  are  susceptible.  And  accordingly, 
it  cannot  properly  be  said,  in  the  full  sense  of  the  terms, 
that  we  live  in  Christ,  or  that  ''Christ  liveth  in  us," 
while  any  of  these  principles  retain  an  unsanctified  influ- 
ence. They  do  not  require  to  be  destroyed ;  but  it  is 
obvious  that  they  must  be  made  holy. 

It  will  be  perceived,  that  these  views  are  not  entirely 
accordant  with  the  sentiments  which  have  sometimes 
been  entertained  by  individuals,  and  even  by  large  bod- 
ies of  Christians.     Many  pious  persons,  at  different  peri- 
ods in  the  history  of  the  church,  have  maintained,  that 
the  various  propensities  and  affections  should  not  merely 
be  crucified  in  the  true  Scripture  sense,  viz.,  by  being 
reduced  from  an  irregular  to  a  subordinate  and  holy  ac- 
tion, but  should  be  exterminated.     In  accordance  with 
this  opinion,  obviously  erroneous  as  it  is,  many  persons 
of  both  sexes,  some  of  them  distinguished  for  their  learn- 
ing and  their  rank  in  life,  have  avoided,  by  a  permanent 
principle  of   action,  every  thing  that  could  please  the 
appetites  or  gratify  the  demands  of  our  social  nature. 
Influenced  by  mistaken  notions    of   what    Christianity 
really  requires,  they  have  literally  made  their  abode  in 
the  dens  and  caves  of  the  earth  ;  and  may  be  said,  with 
too  much  foundation  in  fact,  to  have  rejected  the  society 
of  man  for  the  companionship  of  wild  beasts.     Ecclesi- 
astical history  IS  interspersed  with  instances  of  this  kind, 
from  the  days  of  the  anchorets,  who  macerated  their  bod- 
ies and  uttered  their  solitary  prayers  in  the  deserts  oi 
Egypt,  down  to  the  present  time.     It  is  related,  for  in- 
stance, of  Catherine  of  Cardonne,  a  pious  Spanish  lady 
of  the  16th  century,  moving  in  the  first  ranks  of  society, 
and  well  accomplished  in  the  endowments  of  intellool 


OF    THE    PROPENSIVE    PRINCIPLES,  iS5 

and  education,  that  she  retired  to  a  solitary  cavern  in  a 
remote  niountanions  region,  and  spent  many  years  in  the 
strictest  seclusion,  with  no  adequate  clothing,  and  with 
no  food  but  what  the  uncultivated  earth  afforded.  No 
one  can  read  the  story  of  the  extreme  privations  to  which 
she  subjected  herself  for  the  purpose  of  a  more  intimate 
communion  with  God,  without  a  mixed  emotion  of  re- 
gret for  the  errors  of  her  judgment,  and  of  profound  re- 
spect for  the  self-sacrificing  piety  of  her  heart.*  There 
have  been  many  instances  of  this  kind. 

There  is  some  reason  to  think  that  many  of  the  class 
of  persons,  to  whom  we  have  reference  in  these  remarks, 
placed  more  reliance  on  works  than  on  faith.  This  was 
a  great  error,  though  a  candid  consideration  of  their  Uves 
will  probably  justify  us  in  regarding  it  as  an  uninten- 
tional one.  The  mighty  efficacy  of  faith,  in  its  relation 
to  the  renovation  of  the  human  mind,  seems  not  to  have 
been  well  understood  by  them.  And  being  left  destitute, 
in  a  considerable  degree,  of  the  aids  and  consolations 
which  so  abundantly  flow  from  that  source,  they  pressed 
the  principle  of  consecration,  which,  independently  ot 
faith,  becomes  the  imperfect  and  unsatisfactory  principle 
of  mere  works,  to  its  extreme  limits.  They  deprived 
themselves  of  the  necessary  sleep  ;  wore  garments  that 
inflicted  constant  suflering  ;  mingled  ashes  with  their 
bread ;  and  submitted  to  other  acts  and  observances  of  a 
penitential  nature,  either  to  render  themselves,  in  their 
present  characters,  more  acceptable  to  God,  or  to  propi- 
tiate the  divine  mercy  for  the  commission  of  past  sins. 

With  feelings  of  entire  sympathy  with  the  sincerity 
which  has  characterized  the  conduct  of  many  humble 
and  suffering  recluses,  we  still  feel  bound  to  say,  that  we 
do  not  understand  the  Scriptures  as  requiring  the  cruci- 
fixion of  the  appetites  and  propensities  to  be  carried  to 
this  extent.  The  Scriptures  require  us  to  become  Chris- 
tians ;  but  they  do  not  require  us  to  cease  to  be  men. 

*  See  an  account  of  this  person  in  the  life  of  St.  Theresa  by  Ville- 
fora   (La  Vie  de  St.  JT.erbsepar  M.  de  ViUcfore,  torn   ii.  liv.  5.) 
1(J* 


186  or    THE    PROPENSIVE    PRINCIPLES. 

They  require  us  to  put  off  the  "  old  man,"  which  is 
fictitious,  a  perversion  of  good,  and  a  "har  from  the  be- 
ginning ;  "  but  they  do  not,  and  could  not,  require  us  to 
put  off  the  "  new  man,"  which  is  the  same,  if  not  phys- 
ically and  intellectually,  yet  in  all  the  attributes  of  the 
heart,  with  the  primitive  or  holy  man,  the  man  as  he  ex- 
isted in  Adam  before  his  fall,  and  as  he  became  reexist- 
ent  in  the  stainless  Savior.  But  Christ,  who  is  set  be- 
fore us  as  our  example,  ate  and  drank  without  sin;  he 
recognized  and  discharged  the  duty  of  social  intercourse 
without  sin  ;  and  he  performed  the  various  other  duties,^ 
which  are  appropriate  to  human  nature,  in  equal  freedom 
from  any  thing  that  is  wrong  and  unholy. 

And  we  may  make  a  single  remark  here,  which  may 
tend  to  relieve  the  minds  of  some  hi  relation  to  this  sub- 
ject, viz.,  that  it  is  a  more  diflicult  thing,  and  requires 
more  reflection  and  more  religious  principle,  to  regulate 
the  api)etites  and  propensities,  than  it  does  to  destroy 
♦Jiem.  And  while  the  work  of  a  holy  regulation  is  to  be 
legarded  as  a  more  diflicult  work  than  that  of  destruc- 
tion, we  may  add,  that  it  is  undoubtedly  more  acceptable 
to  God;  although  it  is  probably  less  calculated  to  attract 
notice  and  to  secure  celebrity.  God  expects  us  to  do 
what  he  requires  us  to  do  ;  and  to  attempt  to  do  more, 
or  do  otherwis(3,  than  he  requires,  can  result  only  from  a 
mistakeu  judgment  ^r  from  perverse  intentions. 


187 


CHAPTER  FIFTH. 


ON   THE   REGULATION    OF    THE   PRINCIPLE    OF 
SELF-LOVE. 

One  of  those  implanted  principles,  which  come  unde» 
the  denomination  of  propensities,  is  the  principle  of  Self- 
Love,  or  the  desire  of  our  own  happiness.  We  do  not  pro- 
pose to  remark  upon  all  the  propensities ;  but  the  prin- 
ciple of  self-love,  which  is  so  liable  to  a  perverted  and 
selfish  action  as  sometimes  to  be  regarded  as  a  perverted 
and  evil  principle  in  its  own  nature,  seems  to  require 
some  notice. 

First.  We  remark,  in  the  first  place,  that  it  is  gen- 
erally conceded,  both  by  theologians  and  mental  philos- 
ophers, that  a  principle  of  self-lovi\  or  a  desire  of  personal 
happiness,  is  implanted  in  man.  As  an  implanted  or  con- 
natural principle,  it  cannot,  in  its  subordinated  and  legit- 
imate exercise,  be  otherwise  than  right.  In  other  words, 
when,  in  the  pursuit  of  our  own  happiness,  we  have  a 
suitable  regard  to  the  claims  of  all  other  beings,  espe- 
cially the  Supreme  Being,  we  cannot  be  otherwise  than 
approved  and  guiltless  in  the  view  of  conscience  and  of 
our  Maker. 

The  command,  that  we  should  love  our  neighbor  as 
ourselves,  evidently  implies  that  the  love  of  ourselves,  in 
the  sense  of  seeking  our  own  happiness  so  far  as  is  con- 
sistent with  the  happiness  and  rights  of  others,  is  admis- 
sible. Hence  men  are  properly  directed  and  encouraged 
to  seek  their  own  happiness.  It  is  proper  even  to  direct 
and  encourage  them  to  seek  religion  for  the  sake  (not 
for  the  exclusive  sake,  but  still  for  the  sake)  of  their 
own  happiness.  In  seeking  religion,  —  in  other  words,  in 
seeking  the  restDration  of  the  mind  to  God,  — there  can 


188  ON    THE    REGULATION    OF    THE 

be  no  doubt  that  one  legitimate  motive  may  be  the  desire 
of  our  own  highest  good.  It  is  certain  that  this  is  one 
of  the  motives  calculated  ultimately  to  lead  men  in  a  re- 
ligious course,  which  is  not  unfrequently  addressed  to 
them  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  "  There  is  not,"  says  Dr. 
Wardlaw,  ''  any  part  of  the  Divine  Word,  by  which  we^ 
are  required,  in  any  circumstances,  to  divest  ourselves  of 
this  essential  principle  in  our  constitution.  That  Word, 
on  the  contrary,  is  full  of  appeals  to  it,  under  every  di- 
versity of  form.  Such  are  all  its  threatenings,  all  its 
promises,  all  its  invitations." 

Second.  But  whatever  love  we  may  be  permitted  tc 
exercise  for  ourselves  or  our  fellow-men,  the  obligation 
still  remains  of  loving  God,  as  the  Scripture  expresses  it, 
with  "all  our  soul,  and  heart,  and  mind,  and  strength." 
It  seems  to  be  generally  agreed,  that  nothing  short  of  the 
power  of  our  whole  being  will  satisfy  the  obligations  and 
claims  of  divine  love.  And  here  it  becomes  necessary 
to  consider  briefly  the  relation  which  self-love,  or  the  de- 
sire of  our  own  happiness,  sustains  to  the  desire  of  God's 
glory,  and  the  consistency  of  the  one  with  the  other. 
This  is  a  topic  of  no  small  importance ;  and  perhaps  it 
may  be  added,  that  it  can  hardly  be  supposed  to  be  ea- 
sily understood  without  the  aid  of  some  degree  of  per- 
sonal experience. 

The  doctrine  on  this  subject,  which  seems  to  us  to  be 
a  correct  one,  is  this  :  The  desire  of  our  personal  happi- 
ness, under  the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  may  take  a 
religious  direction,  and  may  operate  beneficially.  But  it 
will  always  be  found  true,  in  point  of  fact,  that,  as  we 
advance  in  religious  experience,  the  desire  of  our  own 
happiness  will  gradually  diminish,  and  will  finally  be- 
come evanescent  and  practically  extinct,  under  the  con- 
tinually increasing  influence  of  the  desire  of  God's 
glory. 

To  state  it  more  particularly  and  definitely,  the  process 
seems  to  be  this :  When  we  first  begin  the  search  after 
God,  we  are  influenced,  in  a  considerable  degree,  by  the 
tor.sideration  of  personal  happiness.     This  is  a  movp. 


PRINCIPLE    OF    SELF-LOVE.  189 

ment  which  is  in  accordance  with  the  principles  of  our 
mental  constitution,  and,  though  exceedingly  inferior  in 
kind  to  that  which  subsequently  takes  place,  is  not  in  it- 
self wrong.  But  as  God,  in  condescension  to  our  poor 
and  imperfect  manner  of  seeking  him,  gradually  unveils 
his  nature,  we  begin  to  love  him  and  seek  him  for  hhiv- 
sclf.  And  as  the  divine  glory  from  time  to  time  reveals 
itself  more  and  more,  so  in  that  proportion  does  the  ex- 
ternal or  objective  motive,  viz.,  that  of  the  divine  glory, 
expand  itself,  and,  approaching  inwardly,  begin  to  occupy 
the  whole  mind ;  while  the  internal  or  subjective  mo- 
tive, viz.,  that  of  our  personal  happiness,  contracts  and 
recedes.  In  other  words,  just  in  proportion  as  there  is  an 
entrance  of  God  into  the  soul,  there  is  a  retrocession  of 
SELF  —  using  the  term  self  in  a  subordinate  and  good 
sense.  There  is  thus  a  loss  of  the  one,  and  a  realization 
of  the  other ;  or  perhaps  we  may  say,  a  gradual  transi- 
tion of  the  hiunan  into  the  divine.  The  principle  under 
consideration,  therefore,  is  not  condemned ;  but  may 
rather  be  said  to  have  fallen  into  desuetude.  It  is  not 
rejected  as  criminal  ;  but  has  become  practically  extinct, 
on  the  ground  of  having  fulfilled  its  destiny.  The 
higher  motive  of  God's  glory  has  absorbed  the  less.  So 
that  when  a  person,  in  the  progress  of  inward  growth, 
arrives  at  the  position  of  a  complete  or  perfected  love, 
(which  is  the  true  position  at  which  every  Christian 
should  aim,  and  is  the  true  place  of  the  soul's  permanent 
rest,)  the  soul  knows  its  happiness  no  more  but  as  merged 
in  the  divine  happiness  ;  it  knows  its  will  no  more 
but  as  encircled  and  lost  in  the  divine  will  ;  and  it  may 
even  be  said,  in  a  mitigated  sense  of  the  terms,  to  know 
itself  no  more  but  as  existent  in  God,  "  God  is  love. 
And  he  that  dioelleth  in  love  dwelleth  in  God,  and 
God  in  him." 

Third.  But  there  is  another  view  of  the  principle  of 
self-love,  or  the  natural  desire  of  happiness,  which  re- 
quires our  attention.  We  refer  to  that  inordinate  and 
unsanctified  modification  of  it,  which,  in  order  to  dis- 
tinguish it  from  a    properly    regulated    and   sanctified 


190  ON    THE    REGULATION    OF    THE 

action,  is  denominated  selfishjiess.  Whatever  may  be 
true  of  the  properly  regulated  desire,  it  is  certain  that 
selfishness  is  morally  wrong,  and  can  never  be  otherwise 
than  wrong.  In  a  certain  sense,  I  think  we  may  truly  say, 
that  we  find  the  root  and  centre  of  all  moral  evil  in  selfish- 
ness ;  meaning  by  the  term  here  the  inordinate  action  of 
the  principle  of  self-love.  It  is  true  that  other  principles 
of  our  nature  are  susceptible  of  an  inordinate  action,  and 
that  such  obliquity  of  action  always  implies  guilt.  But 
there  seems  to  be  ground  for  saying,  that  the  inordinate 
action  of  other  principles  results  from  the  inordinate  ac- 
tion of  the  principle  of  self-love.  From  this  strong  root 
of  evil,  an  influence  goes  out,  which  is  not  more  virulent 
than  it  is  pervasive  ;  and  which,  by  a  secret  insinuation 
of  itself  in  every  direction,  at  length  reaches  and  poisons 
every  part  of  the  mind.  Examine,  for  instance,  the  so- 
cial propensity,  (which  is  a  principle  good  in  itself,)  and 
we  shall  find  that,  stimulated  by  a  secret  influence  from 
the  pernicious  root  of  selfishness,  it  will  often  become 
inordinate  and  evil.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the  prin- 
ciple of  curiosity  —  a  principle  entirely  innocent  in 
itself,  and  very  important  ;  but  which,  when  unre- 
strained by  sentiments  of  right  and  duty,  becomes  di- 
vergent and  capricious  in  its  applications,  and  insatiable 
in  strength.  I  think  we  may  reasonably  assert  that 
every  active  principle  of  our  nature  —  even  those  which 
are  embraced  under  the  head  of  the  benevolent  and  do- 
mestic affections,  and  which  are  so  amiable  and  beautiful 
when  free  from  contamination — is  liable  to  be  per- 
versely aflfected  by  an  evil  influence  going  out  from  this 
source. 

Fourth.  In  connection  with  this  subject,  we  are 
enabled  to  obtain  a  more  precise  idea,  than  we  might 
otherwise  possess,  of  what  is  frequently  and  conve- 
niently denominated  the  life  -of  nature.  The  life  of 
nature  is  no  other  than  the  life  of  the  soul,  deformed, 
perverted,  and  poisoned,  in  all  its  extent,  in  its  fountain 
and  its  streams,  in  its  root  and  its  branches,  by  an  influ- 
ence   disseminated   from    the   inordinate  action  of  tho. 


PRINCIPLE    OF    SELF-LOVE.  191 

principle  of  self-love  ;  and  it  is  easy  to  see,  as  implied 
in  this  statement,  that  the  love  of  God,  which  is  the 
true  corrective  of  this  contracted  and  pernicious  influ- 
ence, is  banished  and  shut  out  from  the  mind  that  is 
under  its  unholy  power.  It  is  not  possible  that  the  love 
of  God  should  dwell  in  a  heart  where  self-love  is  su- 
preme ;  so  that  the  life  of  nature  is  not  only  the  life  ol 
self,  but  it  is  a  life,  which,  in  being  filled  with  self,  is 
necessarily  destitute  of  God ;  and  which,  in  seeking 
nothing  but  its  own  ends,  overlooks  all  other  claims 
and  despises  that  true  happiness  and  true  glory  which 
are  found  in  God  alone.  With  a  life  originating  in  a 
root  so  evil,  and  bearing  fruit  so  baleful,  — a  life  which 
deliberately  chooses  human  weakness  and  error  for  its 
basis,  instead  of  the  divine  strength  and  wisdom,  —  it  is 
certain  that  a  holy  soul  can  have  no  kindred  spirit  of 
feeling,  and  no  union  of  effort.  On  the  contrary,  it  is 
the  part  of  holiness,  as  an  active  and  indwelling  princi- 
ple in  the  heart,  to  meet  it,  to  search  it  out,  contend 
with  it,  destroy  it.  This  is  the  great  practical  warfare. 
Having  been  freely  justified  and  forgiven  in  the  blood  ot 
Christ,  Christians  can  do  no  less  than  clothe  themselves 
for  this  battle ;  and  contend,  step  by  step,  and,  with  di- 
vine assistance,  slay,  to  its  very  root,  a  life  so  polluted  ni 
its  origin  and  its  results,  in  order  that  they  may  receive, 
enjoy,  and  perfect,  the  life  of  God. 


192 


CHAPTER   SIXTH 

ON   THE    NATURE    AND   REGULATION    OF   THE   SOCIAL 
PRINCIPLE. 

Another  of  the  propensive  principles  is  sociality,  or 
the  desire  of  society.  It  is  not  necessary  to  enter  into 
an  argument  to  show  that  men  naturally  (that  is  to  say, 
independently  of  the  influences  of  education  and  con- 
siderations of  interest)  have  a  desire  of  the  company  or 
society  of  their  fellow-men.  Of  the  various  doctrines 
embraced  in  the  philosophy  of  the  human  mind,  there  is 
scarcely  any  one  which  is  more  satisfactorily  established 
than  this. 

First.  Our  first  remark,  under  this  general  head,  is 
that,  among  the  duties  which  man  owes  to  his  fellow- 
men,  one  of  the  most  clearly  ascertained  and  important 
is  that  of  social  intercourse.  The  duty  is  so  clear  and 
imperative,  whether  we  consult  in  its  support  the  consti- 
tution of  the  human  mind,  or  what  is  said  on  the  subject 
in  the  Scriptures,  that  no  one  can  plead  an  exemption 
from  it,  except  on  the  ground  that  the  providences  of 
God,  and  other  special  indications,  render  his  case  very 
different  from  that  of  others.  A  man,  for  instance,  may 
be  so  physically  disordered,  that  society  is  a  burden,  and 
solitude  his  only  place  of  refuge.  And  this  state  of 
things  may  be  combined  with  other  providential  indica- 
tions, so  marked  in  their  character,  that  he  may  be  justi- 
fied in  coming  to  the  conclusion,  that  his  great  business, 
and  essentially  his  only  business  here  on  earth,  is  that  of 
solitary  communion  with  God. 

"  Remote  from  men,  with  God  lie  passed  his  days, 
Prayer  all  his  business,  all  his  pleasure  praise." 


OF    THE     SOCIAL.    PRINCIPLE.  193 

Perhaps  other  situations,  and  other  providential  indi- 
cations, may  lead  to  the  same  result.  John  the  Baptist 
was  the  '-'voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness." 
There  is  reason  to  suppose,  that  the  special  providence 
of  God  called  him,  in  a  greater  degree  than  others,  to 
dwell  in  sohtary  places,  apart  from  the  society  of  men ; 
and  we  probably  risk  nothing  in  saying,  that  the  same 
unerring  providence,  operating  upon  a  sanctified  spirit, 
dictated  the  course  of  Anna,  the  aged  prophetess  of  the 
city  of  Jerusalem,  "  who  departed  not  from  the  temple, 
but  served  God  with  fastings  and  prayers,  night  and  day." 

But  these  are  exempt  cases,  which  can  be  judged  of 
only  by  special  outward  circumstances  and  special  in- 
ward operations  ;  and  which,  therefore,  are  to  be  re- 
garded rather  as  exceptions  to  the  general  rule  than  as 
the  rule  itself.  We  cannot  hesitate,  therefore,  in  saying, 
that  the  duty  of  social  intercourse  is  obvious  and  im- 
-perative.  The  man  who  violates  his  duty  in  this  re- 
spect by  shunning,  without  any  adequate  reason,  the 
society  of  his  fellow-men,  not  only  deprives  himself  of 
the  power  of  extensive  usefulness,  but  he  suffers  under 
the  operation  of  what  may  be  called  a  natural  penalty, 
in  his  own  person,  character,  and  interests.  Persons 
who  place  themselves  in  this  situation,  without  a  special 
divine  guidance,  are  self-punished.  The  mind,  sepa- 
rated from  the  bonds  which  link  it  to  others,  and  falling 
back  upon  itself,  as  both  centre  and  circumference,  be- 
comes contracted  in  the  range  of  its  action,  and  selfish 
in  its  tendencies.  The  light  of  knowledge  is,  in  many 
respects,  shut  out ;  and  even  the  physical,  as  well  as  the 
moral  and  intellectual  system,  feels  the  adverse  influ- 
ences of  a  course  which  is  opposed  to  the  intentions  of 
nature.  Association,  therefore,  may  be  regarded  as  a 
necessary  law  to  us.  God  has  so  linked  us,  man  with 
man,  and  family  with  family,  and  community  with  com- 
munity, that  the  life  of  one  may  be  said  to  be  multi- 
plied in  that  of  another ;  and  no  man,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  peculiar  cases  already  indicated,  can  safely 
and  usefully  stand  and  act  alone. 
17 


94        ON  THE  NATURE  AND  REGULATION 

Second.  The  social  principle,  like  others,  may  be- 
come inordinate  in  its  action.  In  the  natural  life,  in 
distinction  from  the  regenerated  or  sanctified  life,  every 
thing  runs  to  excess,  in  consequence  of  the  prevalence 
of  selfishness,  and  the  absence  of  the  love  of  God ;  and 
thus  the  social  principle,  implanted  originally  for  a  good 
end,  may  become,  as  in  point  of  fact  it  often  does  be- 
come, more  or  less  excessive  and  vicious  in  its  operation. 
In  what  way,  then,  shall  the  discharge  of  the  duty  of 
social  intercourse  be  regulated,  so  that  the  divine  blessing 
may  rest  upon  it?  In  reply  to  this  question,  it  may  be 
admitted,  that  it  is  neither  easy  nor  safe  to  lay  down 
specific  rules  applicable  in  all  cases.  It  is  obvious  that 
what  would  be  right  and  proper  under  some  circum- 
stances, would  be  inexcusable  under  others.  It  is  per- 
haps best,  therefore,  that  the  conduct  of  each  individual 
should  be  left  to  be  regulated  by  the  decisions  of  a  sound 
and  consecrated  discretion,  made  in  view  of  the  circum 
stances  of  each  occasion  as  it  arises. 

In  all  ordinary  cases,  however,  it  may  be  safely  said^ 
tl~at  some  portion  of  each  day,  and  especially  a  portion  at 
tho  commencement  of  the  day,  should  be  devoted  to 
solitary  communion  with  God.  The  soul  needs  the  re- 
sources and  refreshment  of  such  seasons  of  sacred  retire- 
ment, in  order  to  put  itself  into  a  situation  to  meet  those 
trials  of  its  faith  and  patience  which  are  incidental  even 
to  social  intercourse.  Nor  is  this  all.  We  should  also 
have  seasons  of  special  religious  recollection  while  we 
are  acting  in  and  with  society,  in  which  we  may  turn 
our  thoughts  inward  and  upward  ;  to  the  state  of  our 
own  hearts,  on  the  one  hand,  and  to  God,  as  the  true 
source  of  wisdom  and  support,  on  the  other.  Many 
pious  persons  have  found  this  practice  very  important  to 
them.  It  is  said  of  Fenelon,  in  connection  with  the 
numerous  claims  of  society  upon  him, — claims  which 
he  promptly  met,  with  admirable  condescension  and 
wisdom,  —  that  he  nourished  the  inward  divine  life, 
even  in  the  midst  of  such  multiplied  interruptions,  by 
praying  "in  the  deep  retirement  of  internal  solitude  " 


OF    THE    SOCIAL     PRINCIPLE.  195 

Third.  The  desire  of  society  is  natural ;  and  Iho 
pleasure  which  results  from  it,  when  its  object  is  se- 
cured, is  oftentimes  very  great.  But  acting  on  religious 
principles,  and  with  a  view  to  God's  glory,  it  is  obvious 
that  we  must  mingle  in  society,  not  only  to  enjoy  hap- 
piness, but  to  do  good,  and  even  to  suffer. 

If  one  motive  with  the  holy  person,  in  mingling  with 
society,  is  to  do  good,  we  shall  beware  how  we  yield  to 
our  own  choice.  The  life  of  nature  would  lead  us  to 
seek  the  company  of  the  well-informed,  the  wealthy, 
and  the  honorable  ;  but  the  life  of  God  in  the  soul,  in 
connection  with  the  safe  rule  of  his  blessed  providences, 
and  in  imitation  of  the  Savior's  example,  will  lead  us 
among  the  poor  and  sick,  the  degraded  and  the  sinful. 
But  this  is  not  all.  We  are  not  only  called  to  do  good 
in  this  way,  but  are  sometimes  called,  as  already  inti- 
mated, even  to  endure  and  to  suffer. 

When  we  mingle  in  society,  we  mingle  with  men  , 
men  who  are  beset  with  many  and  trying  infirmities, 
and  who  often  show  their  weaknesses  and  errors,  saying 
nothing  of  positive  transgressions,  both  in  manner  and  in 
language.  As  those  who  seek  to  be  wholly  the  Lord's, 
we  are  bound  to  endure  the  troubles  which  result  from 
this  source  with  entire  meekness  and  patience.  Not  to 
bear  meekly  and  patiently  with  those  imperfections  of 
others,  sometimes  greater  and  sometimes  less,  which 
we  must  always  expect  to  encounter  when  we  associate 
with  them,  would  be  a  sad  evidence  of  our  own  imper- 
fection. 

We  are  sometimes  severely  tried,  even  when  we  are 
in  the  company  of  truly  devout  and  holy  persons.  Such 
persons  may  at  times  entertain  peculiar  views,  with 
which  we  cannot  fully  sympathize  ;  and  may  occasion- 
ally exhibit,  notwithstanding  the  purity  and  love  of 
their  hearts,  imperfections  of  judgment  and  of  outward 
manner  which  are  exceedingly  trying.  These  also  are 
to  be  patiently  and  kindly  borne  with. 

Fourth.  One  thing  more  remains  to  be  said,  as  to  the 
manner  of  intercourse.     It  is  obvious  that  the  claims  o^ 


196  OF    THE    SOCIAL    PRINCIPLE. 

society  can  never  be  allowed  to  go  so  far  as  to  interfere 
with  and  prejudice  the  claims  of  religion  at  the  very 
time  of  social  intercourse.  In  other  words,  we  should 
always  so  conduct,  when  we  mingle  socially  with  our 
fellow-men,  that  we  may  be  known  as  religious  persons, 
not  merely  by  special  acts  of  religion,  but  in  our  general 
manner.  And  it  seems  to  us,  that  this  desirable  result 
may  be  secured,  in  consistency  with  a  suitable  regard  to 
modesty  of  deportment.  Men  generally  possess  a  prompt 
and  almost  instinctive  power  of  interpretation  on  the 
subject  of  moral  and  religious  character.  If  we  truly 
possess  religion,  they  will  see  it  and  know  it.  There 
is  a  calmness  and  propriety  of  manners,  on  the  part  of 
truly  holy  persons  ;  a  placidity  of  countenance  ;  a  free- 
dom from  exaggeration  and  over-urgency ;  a  modesty, 
and  a  sincere  good-will  to  others,  whatever  may  be  their 
characters ;  a  conscientious  regard  for  truth  and  justice  ; 
a  forbearance  under  ill-treatment  and  injury  ;  a  serious- 
ness, which  is  the  opposite  of  foolish  talking  and  jest- 
ing ;  an  interest  in  whatever  has  relation  to  the  claims 
of  virtue  and  religion  —  which,  taken  together,  and  aided 
perhaps  by  other  indications  not  less  favorable,  furnish 
significant  data  to  those  who  behold  them  ;  and  which 
cannot  fail  to  stamp  the  character  as  religious,  without 
the  formality  of  a  specific  declaration. 


197 


CHAPTER  SEVENTH. 

ON   THE   NATURE   AND   REGILATION    OF   THE   PRINCI 
PLE  OF  CURIOSITY. 

The  principle  of  Curiosity,  like  the  other  propensities 
which  have  been  mentioned,  is  an  original  principle  of 
our  mental  constitution.  It  is  implanted  there  in  the 
wisdom  and  goodness  of  the  great  Being  who  constitu- 
ted the  mind,  and  may  justly  be  regarded  as  an  appro- 
priate and  essential  attribute  of  every  rational  nature.  It 
is  hardly  necessary  to  say,  that  this  principle  is  given  to 
be  employed.  It  is  altogether  desirable  and  proper  that 
men  should  inquire,  and  reflect,  and  obtain  knowledge. 
But  this  principle  also  is  liable  to  be  perverted.  One  of 
the  greatest  obstacles,  which  practical  sane tificat ion  has 
to  contend  with,  is  the  prevalence  of  a  spirit  of  irregular 
and  unchastened  curiosity.  It  is  here  that  Satan  has 
taken  up  his  position  in  great  security  and  strength,  al- 
most unseen  by  any  one  ;  and  is  throwing  his  weapons, 
and  slaying  numbers,  who  seem  to  be  entirely  ignorant 
what  poisoned  dart  has  hit  them. 

I  will  take  a  case,  by  no  means  an  uncommon  one, 
which  will  stand  for  many  others.  Here  is  an  individ- 
ual, a  member  of  a  church,  who  sustains  in  the  view  of 
his  brethren  a  fair  religious  reputation,  but  who,  by  his 
own  confession,  has  but  little  real  communion  with  God, 
and,  like  many  others,  has  but  little  religious  enjoyment. 
And  what  is  the  reason  of  this  ?  He  is  constant  at  church  ; 
he  is  regular  in  his  family  devotions ;  he  is  fair  and  hon- 
est in  his  transactions  in  business  ;  he  is  liberal  to  the 
poor  and  to  the  cause  of  religious  missions  ;  and  he  does 
not  perceive  himself,  and  others  do  not  clearly  perceive, 
why  he  does  not  walk  with  God,  and  enjoy  continu?  ily 
17* 


198        ON  THE  NATURE  AND  REGULATION 

the  light  of  his  countenance.  But  the  reason  is,  that  he 
is  ignorantly  seeking  himself,  and  making  an  idol  of  him- 
self, contrary  to  the  will  and  the  honor  of  God.  by 
indulging  a  wandering  and  excessive  curiosity.  It  has 
perhaps  never  occurred  to  him  that  he  is  as  much  ac- 
countable to  God  for  the  regulation  of  the  curious  or  in- 
quisitive propensity,  as  for  any  other  principle  of  our 
nature.  This  principle  he  exercises,  in  a  way  to  gratify 
himself,  by  indulging  inordinately  in  a  variety  of  mis- 
cellaneous reading,  by  lending  an  itching  ear  to  the  con- 
stant influx  of  political  news,  by  taking  an  undue  inter- 
est in  the  constantly  circulating  gossip  of  families  and 
neighborhoods;  in  a  word,  by  a  strong  and  almost  irre- 
sistible craving  to  hear  every  thing  that  is  to  be  heard, 
and  to  know  every  thing  that  is  to  be  known,  whether 
good  or  evil,  profitable  or  unprofitable.  Like  the  Athe- 
nians of  old,  he  spends  no  small  portion  of  that  time 
which  God  has  committed  to  him  as  a  precious  trust,  in 
telling  or  hearing  some  new  thing.  Such  is  the  melan- 
choly statement  which  is  applicable  to  hundreds  and 
thousands  of  those  who  bear  the  Christian  name.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  that  the  evils  of  this  state  of  things  are 
manifold  and  great. 

(1.)  In  the  first  place,  the  undue  indulgence  of  the 
principle  of  curiosity,  by  filling  the  mind  with  that  which 
is  unprofitable,  necessarily  excludes  much  which  is  of 
essential  value.  There  are  undoubtedly  limits  to  the 
mind's  receptive  capacity.  And  there  is  such  a  thing  as 
filling  and  crowding  it  so  completely  with  other  things, 
as  to  exclude,  in  a  great  degree,  the  idea  of  God,  and 
many  important  religious  truths.  How  is  it  possible  for 
God  to  dwell  in  a  mind  that  is  already  occupied, 
"  pressed  down  and  running  over,"  if  one  may  so  express 
it,  with  idle  thoughts,  with  foolish  and  romantic  specu- 
lations, with  the  criminations  and  recriminations  of  party 
politics,  with  idle  and  often  cruel  and  unjust  village  and 
neighborhood  reports,  which  are  indiscriminately  sought 
and  swallowed  by  the  insatiable  eagerness  of  this  princi 
pie,  when  it  has  become  excessive  in  its  action ' 


OF    THE    PRINCIPLE    OF    CURIOSITY.  199 

(2.)  Another  remark  is,  that  a  life,  of  which  ex 
'essive  curiosity  is  the  leading  element,  is  necessarily  an- 
tagonistical  to  a  life  of  faith.  Knowledge  necessarily 
excludes  faith,  in  regard  to  the  thing  which  is  known. 
And  we  do  not  hesitate  to  say,  that  ignorance  with  faith 
is,  in  many  things,  better  than  knowledge  without  it. 
In  many  things,  therefore,  having  relation  to  ourselves 
and  others,  and  especially  in  many  things  which  have 
relation  to  the  divine  government,  we  must  be  willing  to 
remain  in  the  darkness  of  sense,  in  order  tliat  we  may 
enjoy  the  light  of  religious  trust.  It  is  obvious  that  this 
is  a  condition  to  which  the  man  of  excessive  curiosity 
does  not  easily  submit.  He  is  restless  in  his  state  of 
ignorance,  because  he  has  but  little  trust  in  God.  How 
different  is  the  state  of  mind  (a  state  of  mind  which  many 
Christians  can  testify  to  be  of  inexpressible  value)  which 
is  disclosed  in  the  devout  words  of  Fenelon  :  "  Behold 
my  wants  which  I  am  igjioraiit  of;  but  do  Thou  be- 
hold, and  do  according  to  thy  mercy.  Smite  or  heal ! 
Depress  or  raise  me  up!  I  adore  all  thy  purposes  with- 
out knowing  iheui." 

(3.)  We  remark,  again,  that  the  unrestrained  action 
of  the  principle  under  consideration  is  inconsistent,  to  a 
considerable  extent  at  least,  with  that  degree  of  religious 
retirement,  and  with  that  inward  and  outward  silence, 
which  have  so  close  a  connection  with  the  growth  of  the 
inward  life.  It  cannot  reasonably  be  expected,  when  we 
consider  the  natural  results  in  the  case,  that  men  who 
indulge  an  excessive  curiosity  will  find  time  to  be  much 
alone  with  God,  or  that  they  will  be  possessed  of  that 
"  quietness  of  spirit  "  which  the  Bible  has  pronounced 
to  be  of  great  price.  On  the  contrary,  they  are  necessa- 
rily compelled  to  pay  the  heavy  penalty  of  their  unchas- 
tened  eagerness  of  spirit,  by  being  withdrawn  from  the 
jjiward  to  the  outward,  and  by  finding  it  easier  and 
sweeter  to  their  perverted  tastes  to  indulge  in  the  attrac- 
tions and  excitements  of  the  world  than  to  commune 
with  the  calmness  and  purity  of  the  God  of  peace. 

(4.)     But  this  is    not  all.     The  evil  which  we  ara 


200        ON  THE  NATURE  AND  REGULATION 

considering  strikes  still  more  directly  at  the  life  of  reli- 
gion in  the  soul.  The  man  who  indulges  in  excessive 
curiosity  makes  this  indulgence — in  other  words,  his  love 
of  some  new  thing — his  idol.  The  tyranny,  which  the 
love  of  news  exercises  over  him,  is  as  strong  and  as  ter- 
rible as  the  tyranny  which  the  love  of  his  possessions 
exercises  over  the  mind  of  the  miser  ;  and  it  is  not  too 
much  to  say  of  him,  that  he  worships  news  as  really  and 
as  strongly  as  other  men  worship  money.  And  hoAv  can 
we  suppose  that  the  love  of  God,  which  is  inconsistent 
with  the  inordinate  love  of  every  thing  else,  can  take  up 
its  residence  in  a  heart  that  is  in  this  situation  ? 

We  trust  that  none  will  pervert  these  important  views. 
The  principle  of  curiosity  is  one  of  the  most  important 
and  powerful  principles  of  our  nature.  But  it  varies  in 
its  exercise.  Sometimes,  it  must  be  admitted,  it  is  too 
weak.  At  other  times,  it  so  increases  in  strength  as  not 
only  to  be  inordinately  active  and  strong,  but  so  much  so 
as  to  assume  almost  a  diseased  or  morbid  character.  The 
doctrine,  therefore,  which  we  propose,  is  nothing  more 
nor  less  than  this,  viz.  :  That  this  powerful  and  impor- 
tant principle  should  be  properly  regulated.  It  ought  to 
be  as  strictly  and  carefully  brought  to  the  test  of  su- 
preme rectitude  as  any  other  internal  principle  —  such  as 
the  love  of  society,  or  the  natural  desire  of  esteem  or  of 
happiness.  We  are  bound,  as  seekers  or  professors  ol 
holiness,  to  pray  for  direction  in  what  we  shall  know,  as 
much  as  we  are  to  pray  for  direction  in  what  we  shall 
do;  and  unless  this  rule  is  constantly  and  devoutly  ob- 
served, no  person  is  at  liberty  to  indulge  the  belief  that 
he  is  acceptable  with  God. 

Let  us  not  forget  the  awful  lesson  which  stands  written 
in  the  early  records  of  our  fallen  race.  When  our  firs; 
parent,  under  the  instigations  of  Satan,  v/ho  declared 
to  her  that  she  should  be  as  gods,  "  knowing  good 
and  evil,"  beheld  the  fruit  of  the  forbidden  tree,  as  de- 
sii'ahle  to  make  one  wise,  she  took  it  and  did  eat.  How 
much  better,  we  may  well  exclaim,  in  view  of  an  event 
attended  with  such  melancholy  results,  is  ignorance  with 


OF    THE    PRINCIPLE    OF    CURIOSITY.  201 

holiness  than  knowledge  with  transgression! — Know 
ing,  then,  the  dangers,  generally  so  little  understood  and 
so  little  suspected,  of  an  unrestrained  and  unhallowed 
curiosity,  may  we  go  to  the  great  Teacher,  who  will 
never  guide  us  wrong.  The  language  of  our  blessed 
Savior  is,  "  Learn  of  me,  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in 
heart,  and  ye  shall  find  rest  to  your  souls."  We  need 
not  fear  that  he  will  consign  us  to  any  ignorance  which 
is  really  unprofitable.  It  is  true,  he  will  not,  like  the 
great  enemy  of  our  race,  direct  to  the  pursuit  of  any  form 
of  knowledge  which  will  involve  us  in  destruction  ;  but 
he  will  encourage  us  in  the  pursuit  of  true  knowledge. 
It  is  given  to  the  people  of  Christ,  in  his  own  cheering 
expressions,  ''  to  know  the  mysteries  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven."  And  while,  under  the  guidance  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  they  will  be  permitted  to  become  acquainted  with 
all  those  forms  of  secular  knowledge  which  are  truly  de- 
sirable and  proper,  the  great  subjects  of  their  thoughts 
and  inquiries  will  be  the  truths  and  mysteries  of  the 
heavenly  kingdom.  And  thus  grace  and  peace  shall  be 
multiplied  to  them,  "  through  the  knowledge  of  God 
and  of  Jesus  our  Lord/' 


202 


CHAPTER  EIGHTH. 


ON  THE  GRACE  OF  SILENCE    AS  THE    MEANS    OF 
SUSTAINING  A  HOLY  LIFE. 

We  proceed  now  to  the  consideration  of  a  topic  ni 
some  degree  related  to  those  of  the  two  preceding  chap- 
ters. It  is  obvious  that  neither  the  social  principle,  nor 
the  principle  of  curiosity,  can  be  carried  out  to  their  an- 
ticipated and  legitimate  results,  in  all  respects,  without 
the  use  of  the  tongue.  Both  principles  imply  communi- 
cation ;  and  communication  is  effected  chiefly  by  the  use 
of  speech.  And  on  the  other  hand,  both  principles  are 
susceptible  of  being  kept  in  check  and  of  being  regulat- 
ed, in  some  degree,  by  the  restricted  and  regulated  use 
of  this  important  medium  of  intercourse.  It  is  in  conse- 
quence, therefore,  of  its  various  relations,  particularly  to 
the  principles  which  have  just  been  mentioned,  that  the 
regulation  of  the  tongue  has  a  close  connection,  perhaps 
more  so  than  is  generally  imagined,  with  the  permanent 
support  of  the  Interior  Life.  Our  remarks,  however, 
will  be  of  a  general  character. 

In  the  first  place,  a  great  freedom  in  the  use  of  the 
tongue,  an  incontinence  of  speech,  if  we  may  so  express 
it,  necessarily  involves  a  loss  of  time.  When  people 
meet  together,  as  they  generally  do,  without  recollection 
in  God,  how  many  things  are  said  which  are  obviously 
unprofitable,  but  which,  nevertheless,  do  not  occupy 
less  time  on  account  of  their  inutility !  It  was  one  of 
the  rules  of  conduct  laid  down  by  that  devoted  servant 
of  God,  Herman  Franke,  "  not  to  make  the  things  of 
this  world  a  subject  of  conversation,  except  when  God 
may  be  honored,  or  good  done  to  our  neighbor  thereby." 
The  application  of  some  rule  of  this  kind  to  the  conver- 


ON    THE    GRACE    OF    SILENCE.  203 

satioii  of  the  great  mass  of  Christians  would  undoubt- 
edly  show  that  much  of  it  neither  honors  God  nor  bene- 
fits their  neighbor ;  and  that,  conseciuently,  the  precious 
time  which  it  requires  is  lost.     But'  he,  who  is  fully  re- 
solved to  walk  in  holiness  before  the  Lord,  cannot  delib- 
erately waste  his  time.     It  is  a  precious  deposit,  whicl 
his  heavenly  Father  has  committed  to  his  trust,  and  foi 
which  he  is  responsible.     We  repeat,  therefore,  that  a 
holy  person  cannot  deliberately  waste  it;    and   conse- 
quently, he  will  feel  constrained  by  the  most  serious  rea- 
sons to  refrain  from  frivolous  and  useless  conversation. 
(2.)     But  this  is  not  all.     We  remark,  in  the  second 
place,  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  speak  much,  with- 
out saying  that  which  is  positively  injurious  as  well  as 
unprofitable.     It  would  be  unreasonable  to  expect  to  in- 
dulge freely  in  conversation  with  others,  in  the  manner 
in  which  men  commonly  do,  without  conforming,  in  part 
at  least,  to  their  own  views  and  terms  of  social  inter- 
course.    In   other   words,  we   seem    to   be    under   the 
necessity  of  sympathizing,  to  some  extent,  with  their 
trains  of  thought  and  experience  ;  and  are  not  at  liberty 
wholly  to  reject  subjects    which  are  pleasing  to  them. 
And  who  does  not  know    that,  acting  on  this  view,  we 
are  often  introduced  to  various  topics   which,  both  in 
their  nature  and  tendency,  are  exceedingly  remote  from 
a  religious  and  edifying  character.     How  large  a  portion, 
for  instance,  of  the  conversation  of  the  great  mass  of  man- 
kind is  taken  up  Avith  censorious  and  unfavorable  com- 
ments on  the  conduct  of  their  neighbors !     How  much 
there  is  of  expressed  or  hinted  suspicion  !    How  much 
of  backbiting  and  slander!     Now,  if  we  would  not  be 
accessory  to  sins  of  this  kind,  we  must  learn  the  diffi- 
cult art  of  controlling  the  tongue,  and  of  forming  habits 
of  conscientious  silence. 

(3.)  Again,  too  much  conversation  has  an  injurious 
effect  upon  the  religious  interests  of  the  mind,  in  addi- 
tion to  what  has  already  been  said,  by  filling  the  soul 
with  many  vain  and  useless  thoughts.  All  such  thoughts 
take  up  more  or  less  of  the  mind's  attention ;  and  just 


204  ON    THE    GRACE    OF    &1LENCE    AS    THE 

SO  far  as  it  is  so  occupied,  it  is  necessarily  deprived  of 
tlie  consciousness  of  God's  sweet  and  purifying  pres- 
ence. Such  are  the  laws  of  the  mind,  that  it  cannot 
possibly  be  occupied  with  God  and  a  multitude  of 
worldly  vanities  at  the  same  time. 

And,  in  addition  to  this,  it  should  be  remembered, 
that  words  are  one  of  the  outward  signs  and  natural 
exi>ressions  of  the  inward  passions ;  and,  whatever  may 
be  true  of  those  of  a  different  character,  it  is  well  un- 
derstood that  the  resentful  or  angry  passions,  which 
often  interpose  an  obstacle  to  holiness,  generally  acquire 
gr.eat  vigor  by  outward  exhibitions.  On  the  contrary,  it 
is  equally  well  understood  that  they  as  generally  wither 
and  die  under  a  system  of  repression  and  silence.  So 
that,  by  maintaining  a  judicious  practice  of  silence,  we 
shall  not  only  find  our  thoughts  less  liable  to  wander, 
and  more  collected  in  God,  than  they  would  otherwise 
be,  but  shall  also  find  the  resentful  passions,  and  the  ex- 
xjiting  passions  generally,  when  thus  deprived  of  the 
powerful  stimulation  of  words,  more  submissive,  and 
more  perfectly  under  control. 

(4.)  Again,  outward  silence  favors  inward  silence.  In 
other  words,  it  promotes  inward  and  spiritual  rest  ;  a 
cessation  from  that  inordinate  and  grasping  activity 
which  is  prompted  by  the  life  of  nature.  This  is  in- 
volved, in  part,  in  what  has  already  been  said ;  but  it  is 
worthy  of  a  distinct  and  particular  notice.  The  utter- 
ance of  words  necessarily  connects  us  with  things  out- 
ward to  ourselves,  and  sometimes  implicates  us  very 
strongly  with  scenes,  transactions,  and  interests,  of  an 
external,  and  generally  of  a  worldly,  character.  But 
the  natural  and  almost  necessary  result  of  outward  si- 
lence is  the  retrocession  of  the  soul  into  itself,  and,  in 
general,  a  decided  tendency  to  the  resumption  of  inward 
peace.  And  this  state  of  things,  as  we  have  already 
had  occasion  to  notice,  is  favorable  to  the  entrance,  in- 
dwellings, and  operations,  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  is  in 
such  a  soul,  much  more  than  in  others,  that  the  great 
Comforter  and  Teacher  lovea  to  take  up  his  residence 


MEANS    OF    SUSTAINING    A    HOLY    LIFF.  Z05 

and  to  expand  his  benign  influences.  "  As  much  as  lies 
in  thy  power,"  says  the  devout  Kempis,  "  shun  the  re- 
sorts of  worldly  men  ;  for  much  conversation  on  worldly 
business,  however  innocently  managed,  greatly  retards 
the  progress  of  the  spiritual  life.  We  are  soon  capti- 
vated by  vain  objects  and  employments,  and  soon  de- 
filed. And  I  have  wished,  a  thousand  times,  that  I  had 
either  not  been  in  company  or  had  been  silent." 

(5.)  It  should  also  have  great  weight  with  us,  that  the 
Scriptures  impart  so  much  instruction  on  this  subject. 
So  liable  are  we  to  offend  in  the  use  of  the  tongue,  and 
so  difficult  is  it  to  regulate  ourselves  in  this  respect,  that 
we  are  told  by  the  apostle  James,  "  If  any  man  offend 
not  in  word,  the  same  is  a  pertect  man,  and  able  also  to 
bridle  the  whole  body."  In  Proverbs,  also,  xxi.  23,  it 
is  said,  "Whoso  keepeth  his  mouth  and  his  tongue, 
keepeth  his  soul  from  troubles."  There  are  other  pas- 
sages of  similar  import ;  but  how  little,  notwithstand- 
ing, is  the  importance  of  properly  regulating  our  speech 
realized  (  Some  persons,  even  some  Christians,  seem  to 
think  (if  we  may  be  allowed  to  judge  from  their  con- 
duct) that  crime  may  attach  to  almost  any  form  of  hu- 
man action  out  this.  O  that  they  would  remember  the 
words  of  the  Savior !  words  which  should  be  engraven 
upon  the  heart  of  every  one  who  aims  at  holiness  : 
"  But  I  say  unto  you,  that  every  idle  word  that  men 
shall  speak,  they  shall  give  account  thereof  in  the  day 
of  judgment.  For  by  thy  words  thou  shalt  be  justified  ; 
and  by  thy  words  shalt  thou  be  condemned." 

But  some  will  perhaps  inquire,  whether  we  may  not 
converse  much,  if  our  object  be  to  do  good.  I  admit 
that  we  may,  if  we  can  do  more  good  in  this  way,  in- 
cluding what  we  owe  to  ourselves  as  well  as  what  we 
owe  to  others,  than  we  can  by  a  judicious  mixture  of 
conversation  and  silence.  But  then  we  should  consider 
that  we  cannot  reasonably  expect  to  do  much  good, 
without  a  heart  richly  replenished  with  divine  grace. 
And  I  believe  it  is  a  common  opinion,  that  the  disburse- 
ments of  frequent  talking,  without  the  incomes  of  a 
18 


206  ON    THE    GRACE    OF    SILENCE    AS    THE 

Drayerful  silence,  generally  result,  and  very  rapidly  toOj 
n  the  evaporation  and  loss  of  the  inward  life.  And 
accordingly,  it  is  a  frequent  saying,  that  a  man  may,  in 
a  modified  sense  of  the  expression,  "  talk  away  his  reli- 
gion." And  it  may  be  added,  farther,  as  in  accordance 
with  what  has  now  been  said,  that  pious  ministers  not 
unfrequently  lament  that  calls  for  outward  action  and 
for  much  speaking  to  others  leave  them  too  little  time 
for  interior  retirement,  and  for  seasons  of  spiritual  re- 
freshment and  advancement,  by  communication  with 
the  everlasting  Fountain. 

In  connection  with  the  subject,  we  proceed  to  make 
a  few  brief  practical  remarks.  And  the  first  which  wc 
have  to  make  relates  to  the  manner  of  our  conversation  , 
viz;,  we  should  make  it  a  general  rule  to  avoid  express- 
ing ourselves  in  a  very  emphatic  and  passionate  man- 
ner, and  with  a  high  tone  of  voice.  It  is  well  under- 
stood, that  such  a  method  of  outward  expression  reacts 
upon  the  mind,  and  has  a  tendency  to  produce  an  ex- 
cited and  inordinate  state  of  the  feelings  within ;  and 
besides,  it  is  generally  unpleasant  and  unprofitable  to  the 
hearers.  It  will  be  noticed,  that  we  are  not  speaking 
here  of  public  occasions,  (in  respect  to  which  the  rule 
must  be  adopted  with  its  appropriate  restrictions,)  but  of 
conversation.  And  I  think  we  may  profitably  add  here, 
that  the  rule  is  capable  of  some  extension.  A  truly 
consecrated  person  will  not  only  be  characterized  by 
quietness  of  manner,  so  far  as  words  and  voice  are  con- 
cerned, but  also  in  other  outward  respects.  His  counte- 
nance, his  action,  his  general  movement,  will  be  per- 
vaded, in  a  great  measure,  by  the  same  beautiful  and 
Christ-like  trait. 

Another  remark  is,  that  we  should  be  careful  not  to 
speak  much  of  ourselves  and  of  our  own  affairs.  There 
are,  undoubtedly,  some  exceptions  to  this  view;  espe- 
cially when  suitable  opportunities  present  themselves  of 
speaking  of  God's  dealings  with  our  souls.  But,  nev- 
ertheless, this  seems  to  be  the  correct  general  rule, 
Such  conversations,  viz.,  those  which  turn  frequently 


MKANS    OF    SUSTAINING    A    HOLY    LIFE.  207 

and  almost  exclusively  upon  ourselves,  besides  not  be- 
ing, in  general,  edifying  to  others,  are  apt,  by  directing 
our  thoughts  from  the  glory  of  God  to  the  persons  and 
the  affairs  of  the  creature,  to  reanimate  and  strengthen 
the  dying  life  of  self. 

Again,  it  is  not  religiously  profitable  to  make  the  per- 
sons and  concerns  of  our  neighbors  the  frequent  subjects 
of  our  discourse,  unless  it  be  for  the  purpose  of  saying 
what  we  know  can  properly  be  said  in  their  favor,  of 
vindicating  them  against  aspersions,  or  for  some  other 
good  and  charitable  purpose.  This  rule,  too,  has,  in 
practice,  its  appropriate  limitations,  which  a  judicious 
piety  will  be  likely  to  suggest. 

The  only  further  practical  remark  which  we  wish  to 
make  on  this  subject  at  present,  is,  that,  when  we  are 
falsely  spoken  against,  or  in  some  other  way  greatly 
injured,  we  should  not,  as  a  general  rule,  be  hasty  to 
reply.  The  life  of  nature  would  prompt  us  to  reply 
quickly,  to  vindicate  ourselves  at  all  hazards,  and  some- 
times, perhaps,  with  a  considerable  degree  of  sharpness 
and  violence.  But  the  gentle  spirit  of  Christ  in  the  soul, 
which  says,  "  Without  my  Father  I  can  do  nothing," 
always  leads  us  to  look  to  God  for  aid  and  direction 
before  we  look  to  ourselves  and  our  own  wisdom,  or  to 
the  precipitate  help  of  earthly  friends.  It  was  thus  with 
the  prophet  Daniel.  When  misrepresented,  injured,  and 
persecuted,  he  at  once  turned  his  thoughts  to  God  as  his 
only  protection.  In  his  solitary  chamber,  kneeling  be- 
fore the  face  of  the  Infinite  Presence,  and  with  no  dis- 
position to  look  any  where  else,  he  intrusted  his  cause 
to  Him  who  alone  is  able  to  help.  The  example  of  the 
Savior,  also,  in  relation  to  this  subject,  is  particularly 
instructive.  When  brought  to  trial  before  Pilate,  al- 
though he  could  easily  have  made  a  defence,  he  chose 
lO  be  silent ;  "he  answered  him  to  never  a  ivord,  inso- 
much that  the  governor  marvelled  greatly."  In  the 
language  of  the  evangelical  prophet,  "  He  was  oppressed 
and  he  was  afilicted,  yet  he  opened  not  his  mouth ;  he 
is  brought  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter,  and  as  a  sheen 


<>08  ON    THE    GRACE    OF    SILENCE. 

before  her  shearers  is  dumb,  so  he  opened  not  his 
mouth."  The  deep  grace,  which  manifests  itself  by 
patience  and  silence  under  the  eircumstances  which  have 
been  mentioned,  will  pbad  far  more  eloquently  in  our 
behalf  than  all  the  torrent  of  words  and  all  the  vivacity 
of  effort  which  the  life  of  nature  is  so  ready  to  poui 
forth. 


"Teach  us,  in  time  of  deep  distress, 

To  own  thy  hand,  O  God, 
And  in  submissive  silence  learn 

The  lessons  of  thy  rod. 
In  every  changing  scene  of  life, 

Whate'er  that  scene  may  be, 
Give  us  a  meek  and  humble  mind, 

A  mind  at  peace  with  thee  '. 


209 


CHAPTER  NINTH. 

ON   THE  NATURE   AND   REGULATION   OF  THE 
AFFECTIONS. 


There  are  a  number  of  other  principles,  besides  those 
that  have  been  mentioned,  which  come  under  the  gen- 
eral head  of  the  propensities,  which  are  important  in 
their  place,  and  all  of  which  require  to  be  restored  from 
the  vicious  action  with  which  a  fallen  nature  has  inspired 
them.  This  may  be  said,  for  instance,  of  the  desire 
0/ esteem,  obviously  a  distinct  and  implanted  principle 
of  nature,  which  leads  us  to  consult  the  opinions  and 
to  value  highly  the  favorable  sentiments  of  our  fellow- 
men —  a  principle  which  is  often  irregular  and  morally 
perverse  in  its  action,  and  which  can  never  be  made 
what  it  ought  to  be,  except  under  the  restrictions  and 
with  the  aids  of  sanctifying  grace.  But  the  doctrines 
and  illustrations  which  have  been  laid  down  in  relation 
to  other  propensities  will  easily  apply  Db  this  and  to  oth- 
er cases  which  have  not  been  remarked  upon.  It  is  not 
consistent  with  our  limits,  and  probably  it  is  not  neces- 
sary, to  delay  further  upon  them. 

( 1. )  The  affections,  also,  —  a  still  higher  class  of  prin- 
ciples than  the  appetites  and  propensities,  —  require  to 
be  sanctified.  As  they  exist  in  the  natural  man,  with 
whatever  titles  of  amiableness  and  excellence  we  may 
dignify  them,  it  is  still  true  that  they  are  impregnated 
with  the  vicious  element  of  the  natural  life,  and  are  not 
holy.  It  cannot  be  doubted  that  it  is  right  for  a  man 
to  love  the  members  of  his  family,  and  that  it  is  his 
duty  to  do  so ;  but  if  his  domestic  attachments  become, 
from  any  cause,  so  strong  as  to  annul  or  to  vitiate  his 
18* 


iiiO  »  ON   THE    NATURE    AND     ^ 

love  to  men  generally,  or  to  God,  or,  on  the  other  hand, 
if  they  become  so  weakened  as  to  fall  short  of  the  di- 
vine requirements,  they  are  wrong. 

Immutable  right  has  a  claim  and  a  power  which  enti- 
tle it  to  regulate  every  thing  else.  Even  love  itself,  an 
element  so  essential  to  all  moral  goodness  that  it  gives 
a  character  and  name  to  God  himself,  ceases  to  be  love 
the  moment  it  ceases  to  be  in  conformity  with  justice. 
Love  that  is  not  just  is  not  holy ;  and  love  that  is  not 
holy  is  selfishness  under  the  name  of  love.  Every 
affection,  therefore,  however  amiable  and  honorable  it 
may  be  when  it  is  in  a  right  position,  is  wrong,  and 
"s  at  variance  with  inward  holiness  of  life,  which  is  not 
m  conformity  with  the  rule  of  right.  And  in  hearts 
unsanctified,  just  so  far  as  there  is  a  defect  or  want  of 
sanctification,  —  in  other  words,  just  so  far  as  the  love 
of  God  fails  to  regulate  such  affections,  —  this  is  always 
the  case. 

(2.)  The  affections  are  generally  divided  into  the  be- 
nevolent and  the  malevolent  affections.  The  basis  of 
the  benevolent  affections  is  love  ;  the  basis  of  the  other 
class  is  the  principle  of  resentment.  The  doctrines  of 
Holiness  apply  to  the  principle  of  resentment,  as  well 
as  to  other  parts  of  the  mind.  It  is  impossible  for  a 
holy  person  not  to  be  displeased,  and  sometimes  greatly 
displeased,  at  acts  of  iniquity.  The  injunction  of  the 
apostle,  "  Be  ye  angry  and  sin  not,'*  seems  to  imply  that 
there  may  be  cases  in  which  a  person  may  be  displeased, 
and  may  be  angry,  without  necessarily  incurring  sin. 
It  is  said  of  the  blessed  Savior  himself,  that  he  looked 
upon  the  Pharisees  "  with  anger,  being  grieved  for  the 
hardness  of  their  hearts."  But  here,  again,  the  evil 
hand  of  nature  (not  nature  as  it  was,  but  nature  as  it 
has  become)  has  been  at  work.  Selfishness,  which  is 
but  another  name  for  the  life  of  nature,  infuses  into  the 
displeasure  of  the  unsanctified  man,  even  when  there  is 
a  foundation  for  it  within  proper  limits,  a  degree  of  se- 
verity and  unforgivingness  which  is  inconsistent  vnth 
holiness,  and  is  fatal  to  true  inward  peace. 


REGULATION  OF  THE  AFFECTIONS.         211 

How  often  and  how  sadly  this  has  been  the  case, 
how  often  and  how  deeply  individuals  and  churches 
have  been  injured  from  this  cause,  no  one  is  ignorant 
Families  and  nations,  as  well  as  individuals,  have  ex- 
perienced the  dreadful  effects  of  the  displeased  and 
angry  feelings,  when  they  are  not  overruled  and  kept 
in  check  by  true  piety.  The  history  of  the  world,  from 
its  earliest  periods,  is  a  solemn  and  monitory  lesson  on 
this  subject.  "  He  that  is  slow  to  anger  is  better  than 
the  mighty ;  and  he  that  ruleth  his  spirit,  than  he  that 
taketh  a  city."  There  seems  to  be  need  of  greater 
effort,  and  of  more  faith  and  prayer,  to  regulate  entirely 
this  department  of  the  affections,  (usually  denominated 
the  malevolent  affections,)  than  is  required  in  the  regu- 
lation of  the  other.  But  the  grace  of  God  is  sufficient 
even  here. 

(3.)  When  the  desires,  including  the  various  appetites, 
propensities,  and  affections,  are  reduced  to  their  proper 
position,  by  being  brought  under  the  controlling  influ- 
ence of  divine  love,  and  are  truly  sanctified  to  the  Lord, 
there  is  a  foundation  laid  for  the  i  ijht  action  of  the  will. 
It  is  well  understood,  I  suppose,  liiat  the  will  acts,  if  it 
acts  at  all,  in  accordance  either  with  natural  and  inter- 
ested motives,  on  the  one  hand,  or  with  moral  motives,  on 
the  other.  In  a  mind  that  is  not  the  subject  of  any  de- 
gree of  alienated  action,  and  which,  therefore,  in  the 
ordinary  sense  of  the  terms,  may  properly  be  called  a 
sound  mind,  the  moral  sense  will  always  act  right  and 
act  effectively,  and  will  always  furnish  a  powerful  mo- 
tive to  the  will,  unless  it  is  perplexed  and  weakened  in 
its  action  (which,  however,  is  very  likely  to  be  the  case 
in  the  natural  man)  by  the  influence  of  unsanctified  de- 
sires. If,  therefore,  the  desires  are  sanctified,  and  the 
perplexing  and  disordering  influence  from  that  source  is 
taken  away,  the  feelings  of  desire  and  the  sentiment  of 
justice  will  combine  their  action  in  the  same  direction, 
and  the  action  of  the  will  cannot  be  otherwise  than 
holy.  To  possess  holy  desires,  therefore,  in  their  vari- 
ous modifications,  or,  what  is  the  same  thing,  to  possess, 


212  ON    THE    REGULATION    OF    THE     4rrECTI0NS. 

as  we  sometimes  express  it,  a  hoiy  heart,  is  necessarily 
to  possess  a  holy  will.  There  is  no  reason,  under  such 
circumstances,  why  the  will  should  not  act  right.  Anc 
a  right  will  is  a  holy  will. 

To  secure  such  a  consummation,  —  the  appetites  sub- 
dued, the  propensities  regulated,  the  affections  sanctified_ 
the  will  just  in  its  action,  and  consequently  united  with 
the  will  of  God,  —  to  secure  a  result  so  immensely  im- 
Dortant  in  itself  and  its  relations,  how  devoutly  should 
we  may  !  how  constantly  and  ardently  should  we  labor  ! 


"Create,  O  God,  my  powers  anew; 
Make  my  whole  heart  sincere  and  txne. 
O,  cast  me  not  in  wrath  awuj, 
Nor  let  thv  BOui-eniivening  ray 
Still  cease  tc  shine !  " 


213 


CHAPTER   TENTH. 


OF    THE    EXCISION    AND    CRUCIFIXION    OF    THU. 
NATURAL   LIFE. 


["And  if  thy  right  eye  ofFend  thee,  pluck  it  out,  and  cast  it  from 
thee  ;  for  it  is  profitable  for  thee  that  one  of  thy  members  should  per- 
ish, and  not  that  thy  whole  body  should  be  cast  into  hell.  And  if  thy 
right  hand  offend  thee,  cut  it  off,  and  cast  it  from  thee  ;  for  it  is  profit- 
able for  thee  that  one  of  thy  members  should  perish,  and  not  that  tliy 
whole  body  should  be  cast  into  hell."   Matt.  v.  29,  30.] 

The  natural  life,  as  we  have  already  had  occasion  to 
notice,  has  a  close  connection  with  the  natural  desires. 
Just  so  far  as  such  desires  are  inordinate  in  their  action, 
they  are  the  result  of  unsanctified  nature,  and  not  of  the 
Spirit  of  God.  The  root,  however,  the  original  and 
fruitful  source  of  that  state  of  things  in  the  natural  heart 
which  is  conveniently  denominated  the  natural  life,  is 
the  inordinate  action  of  the  principle  of  self-love  ;  de- 
nominated, in  a  single  term,  selfishness.  The  pernicious 
influence  from  this  source,  with  the  exception  of  what 
has  become  sanctified  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  reaches  and 
corrupts  every  thing.  Hence  the  importance  of  the 
process  of  excision.  It  is  not  only  important,  but  indis- 
pensably necessary,  that  this  evil  influence  should  be 
met  and  destroyed  wherever  it  exists — a  process  often 
exceedingly  painful,  but  inevitable  to  him  who  would 
be  relieved  from  his  false  position,  and  put  in  harmony 
with  God.  There  must  be  a  cutting  off,  and  a  re- 
newed and  repeated  cutting  off,  till  the  tree  of  self, 
despoiled  of  its  branches  and  foliage,  and  thus  deprived 
of  the  nourishment  of  the  rain,  the  sun,  and  the  atmos- 
phere, dies  down  to  its  very  root ;  giving  place,  in  its 
destruction,  to  the  sweet  bloom  of  the  :ree  of  life. 


214  OF    THE     EXCISION    AND    CRUCIFIXION 

We  have  formerly  had  occasion  to  say,  that  a  hfo  of 
practical  holiness  depends  essentially  upon  two  things: 
first,  upon  an  entire  consecration  of  ourselves,  body  and 
spirit,  to  the  Lord;  and,  second,  upon  a  belief  that  this 
consecration  is  accepted.  We  must,  in  the  first  place, 
offer  up  our  whole  being  as  a  sacrifice  to  the  Lord,  lay- 
ing all  upon  his  altar.  But  we  should  remember,  it  is 
laid  there  in  order  that  the  natural  life  maybe  consumed, 
and  that  there  may  be  a  resurrection  of  the  true  spiritual 
life  from  its  ashes.  He,  therefore,  who  has  consecrated 
himself  to  God,  must  expect  that  the  truth  of  the  conse- 
cration will  be  tested  by  the  severity  of  an  interior  cru- 
cifixion, which  is  the  death  of  nature,  but,  in  the  end, 
present  and  everlasting  life.  It  is  not  till  the  flame  has 
come  upon  us,  and  we  have  passed  through  the  fire  of  the 
inward  crucifixion,  which  consumes  the  rottenness,  and 
the  hay  and  stubble,  of  the  old  life  of  nature,  that  we 
can  speak,  in  a  higher  sense,  of  the  new  life,  and  saj^, 
Christ  liveth  in  me.  But  this  subject,  which  is  vi- 
tally important  in  connection  with  the  highest  results  ot 
religious  experience,  will  be  better  understood  by  going 
into  some  particulars. 

(L)  In  the  first  place,  God  will  require  of  us,  in  the 
fulfilment  of  our  act  of  consecration,  that  we  shall  sepa- 
rate ourselves  from  all  inordinate  indulgence  of  the 
appetites.  Undoubtedly,  there  is  a  degree  of  natural 
pleasure,  connected  with  the  exercise  of  the  appetites, 
which  is  lawful.  But  it  is  very  obvious,  that  self  in  the 
natural  man,  which  is  always  seeking  for  pleasure, 
without  regarding  either  its  nature  or  its  lawfulness, 
has  polluted  every  thing  here.  It  is  in  connection  with 
the  appetites  in  their  unsanctified  state,  that  we  find  one 
of  the  strong  ties  which  bind  man  to  his  idols,  and 
which  subject  his  proud  spirit.  This  strong  bond 
must  be  sundered.  No  one  can  be  acceptable  to  God, 
who  does  not  crucify  and  reject  every  form  of  attraction 
and  pleasure  from  this  source,  which  is  not  in  accord- 
ance with  the  intentions  of  nature,  and  does  not  receive 
the   divine  approbation   and    sanction.      But    we    have_ 


OB"    THE     NATURAL    LIFE.  215 

already  had  occasion  to  make  some  remarks  on  this  sub- 
ject, and  it  is  not  necessary  to  extend  them  here. 

(II.)  We  are  required,  in  the  second  place,  to  reduce 
to  a  subordinated  action,  and  in  this  sense  to  crucify,  the 
propensive  principles  ;  and  also  the  natural  affections, 
interesting  and  important  as  such  affections  are,  so  far 
as  they  are  not  purified  in  divine  love,  and  made  one 
with  the  divine  will.  The  natural  affections,  even  in 
their  more  amiable  and  lovely  forms,  often  gain  an  as- 
cendency in  the  mind,  and  exercise  a  tyranny  over  it, 
which  is  inconsistent  with  the  restoration  of  unity  with 
God.  How  many  persons  make  idols  of  their  children, 
of  their  parents,  or  of  other  near  relatives  !  It  is  very 
obvious  that  such  strong  attachments,  though  they  may 
be  dear  as  the  right  hand  or  the  right  eye,  must  be  cru- 
cified and  cut  off.  "  He  that  loveth  father  or  mother," 
says  the  Savior,  "  more  than  me,  is  not  worthy  of  me  ; 
and  he  that  loveth  son  or  daughter  more  than  me,  is  not 
worthy  of  me.  He  that  findeth  his  life  shall  lose  it  ; 
and  he  that  loseth  his  life  for  my  sake,  shall  find  it.'^ 
To  this  topic,  also,  we  have  already  had  occasion  to 
refer. 

(III.)  We  proceed  to  remark,  in  the  third  place,  that, 
in  the  process  of  entire  separation  from  any  and  every 
reliance  out  of  God,  we  must  cease  to  place  undue  con- 
fidence in  men  generally.  It  is  a  matter  of  common 
remark,  that  the  natural  man,  afraid  to  put  his  trust  in 
God  alone,  generally  seeks  advice  and  assistance  from 
his  fellow-men  ;  especially  from  those  who  are  in  some 
degree  conspicuous  for  information  and  influence. 
Those  also,  who  have  known  something  of  the  truth 
and  power  of  religion,  but  are  as  yet  beginners  in  the 
Christian  life,  have  not  unfrequently  erred  in  the  same 
way.  Many  times,  instead  of  looking  to  God  for  help, 
they  have  sought  assistance  from  near  Christian  friends  ; 
they  have  unduly  relied  perhaps  upon  their  public  re- 
ligious teachers,  or  have  sought,  in  the  spirit  of  distrust 
towards  God,  some  other  exterior  source  of  consolation 
and  support.     It  is  important  to  observe,  however,  that 


216  OF    THE    EXCISION    AND    CRUCIFIXION 

the  error  does  not  so  much  consist  in  seeking  the  advice 
and  support  of  men,  —  which,  under  certain  circum- 
stances, we  acknowledge  to  be  very  proper,  —  as  ir 
seeking  it  in  an  undue  degree^  and  to  the  exclusion  ot 
God.  Such  is  the  nature  of  God,  and  such  are  our  re- 
lations to  him,  that  he  cannot  possibly  admit  of  a  rival 
in  our  affections.  It  is  reasonable,  therefore,  that  he 
should  expect  us  in  our  troubles  to  make  the  first  appli- 
cations to  himself,  and  to  lay  our  trials  and  wants  before 
him  with  that  readiness  and  confidence  which  we  no- 
tice in  little  children,  who  naturally  seek  the  advice  and 
assistance  of  their  parents,  before  looking  to  other  sources 
of  support ;  and  we  shall  always  find  this  course  safest 
for  ourselves,  as  well  as  most  pleasing  and  honorable  to 
God. 

From  all  forms,  therefore,  and  from  all  degrees  of 
trust  in  men, —  except  so  far  as  they  are  kept  in  perfect 
subordination  to  a  higher  and  ultimate  trust  in  God,  — 
there  must  be  a  separation.  We  must  learn  the  grea. 
lesson  of  making  God  our  helper ;  and  not  on  particular 
occasions  merely,  but  always.  In  the  beautiful  language 
)f  the  Psalmist,  "  My  soul,  wait  thou  only  upon  God, 
for  my  expectation  is  from  him  !  " 

(IV.)  We  proceed  to  observe  further,  that,  in  the  ful- 
filment of  our  personal  consecration,  and  in  the  further 
process  of  renunciation  and  excision,  there  must  be  a 
separation,  a  cutting  loose  from  all  reliance,  as  a  ground 
of  merit  or  of  self-gratulation  in  any  shape,  on  our  own 
worlcs.  It  is  undoubtedly  trying  to  unsubdued  and  self- 
ish nature,  to  attach  no  value,  considered  as  its  own 
works,  to  what  it  fondly  calls  its  good  deeds  ;  such  as 
its  outward  morality,  its  attendance  upon  the  institutions 
of  worship,  its  study  of  the  Scriptures,  its  visits  to  the 
sick,  its  charities  to  the  poor,  and  other  things  of  a  sim- 
ilar nature.  These  things,  it  is  true,  are  all  good  and 
desirable.  We  would  not,  by  any  means,  speak  lightly 
of  them.  It  is  perhaps  difficult  to  value  them  too  highly, 
if  we  ascribe  them,  as  we  ought  to  do,  to  the  mere  favor 
and  grace  of  God.     But  by  excluding  the  influence  of 


OF    THE    NATURAL.    LIFE.  217 

the  grace  of  God,  and  ascribing  them  to  his  own  merit. 
It  is  easy  to  see  that  a  man  may  make  an  idol  of  his 
good  works,  whatever  may  be  their  nature  ;  and  that  he 
may,  in  the  perversity  of  his  spirit,  fall  down  and  wor- 
ship them.  We  must  be  willing,  therefore,  to  account 
our  good  deeds  as  nothing,  and  to  regard  ourselves,  when 
we  have  done  all  in  our  power,  as  unprofitable  servants, 
in  order  that  Christ  may  be  to  us  all  in  all. 

(V.)  A  fifth  remark,  which  we  have  to  make  in  con- 
nection with  this  subject,  is,  that  it  is  necessary  to  cut 
off  and  crucify  the  inward  desire,  which  so  generally 
prevails,  for  the  experience  of  special  signs  and  testi- 
monies of  acceptance  with  God.  There  is  hardly  any 
Christian,  who  has  not,  at  some  period  of  his  religious 
history,  experienced  some  perplexity  in  this  respect. 
One  of  the  most  difficult  lessons  which  we  are  called  to 
learn, — one,  however,  which  is  indispensable,  if  we 
would  know  the  heights  and  depths  of  the  religious  life, 
—  is  that  of  living  by  simple  faith.  God  expects  us, 
and  has  a  right  to  expect  us,  to  leave  ourselves  and  all 
our  interests  in  his  hands,  in  the  full  confidence  that  he 
will  do  every  thing  which  is  right ;  and  it  is  obviously 
the  duty  of  every  Christiau  to  correspond  to  this  claim 
on  the  part  of  God,  and  to  yield  himself  up,  body  and 
spirit,  in  the  bonds  of  an  everlasting  covenant ;  fully 
believing  that  God  will  not  desert  him  either  in  duty 
or  in  temptation  ;  and  whether  he  is  led  in  light  or  in 
darkness,  with  sensible  manifestations  and  testimonies, 
or  without  them,  that  all  things  will  be  well  in  the  end, 
and  will  work  together  for  his  own  good  and  for  the 
divine  glory.  But  too  often  this  duty  is  not  regarded. 
To  live  by  faith,  to  lean  upon  the  mere  word  of  God, 
without  the  supports  of  sight,  is  a  very  humbling  way 
of  living ;  and  it  is  hard  for  the  natural  man,  and  even 
for  the  partially  sanctified  man,  to  receive  it.  Nature, 
so  far  as  it  exists  in  the  heart,  chooses  another  method, 
one  more  suited  to  itself,  but  less  glorious  to  God, 
Some  good  Christians  have  exceedingly  perplexed  and 
injLued  themselves,  for  a  considerable  "ength  of  time,  h\ 
10 


218  OF    THE    EXCISION    AND    CRUCIFIXION 

attempting  to  maintain  the  inward  life  on  the  erroneous 
system  of  special  signs,  tokens,  and  testimonies,  such  as 
an  audible  voice,  the  application  of  some  unknown 
passage  of  Scripture,  the  occurrence  of  some  remarkable 
temporal  event,  the  possession  of  a  preconceived  and 
specified  state  of  joyous  feeling,  or  something  of  the 
kind,  which,  in  their  ignorance,  or  under  the  influence 
of  remaining  self-will,  are  earnestly  sought  from  God, 
as  the  pledges  and  evidences  of  their  acceptance.  Such 
a  system  of  living  has  scarcely  any  affinity,  and  perhaps 
none  at  all,  with  the  true  life  of  God  in  the  soul.  The 
Christian  life,  we  repeat,  is  emphatically  a  life  of  faith  ; 
but  to  endeavor  to  live  in  the  way  which  has  just  been 
referred  to,  is  evidently  a  deviation  from  the  way  of 
faith,  and  tends  directly  to  strengthen  the  unspeakable 
evil  of  distrust  in  God. 

From  every  thing  of  this  kind,  therefore,  we  must 
separate  ourselves  without  hesitation,  however  painful 
the  process  may  be.  In  the  spirit  of  self-crucifixion, 
we  must  learn  the  great  lesson  of  relying  by  simple  be- 
lief on  the  mere  declaration  of  God  ;  and  in  doing  this 
we  need  not  fear.  What  need  has  the  principle  of  in- 
ward faith  of  any  sign  or  testimony  additional  to  itself? 
Faith,  whenever  it  is  strong  enough  to  be  a  true  light 
within,  will  always  bear  its  evidence  in  its  own  nature. 
It  no  more  asks  or  requires  exterior  illumination,  than 
the  sun  in  the  heavens  asks  for  a  taper  to  learn  its  own 
illuminated  position.  "  He  that  believeth  on  the  Son 
of  God,  hath  the  witness  in  himself." 

(VI.)  We  remark,  in  the  sixth  place,  that  we  must 
separate  ourselves  altogether  from  any  reliance  upon  re- 
ligious feelings  of  any  kind,  considered  as  a  ground  of 
hope  and  salvation.  We  know  well  that  there  can  be 
no  religion  without  religious  feelings.  No  man  is,  or 
can  be,  a  Christian  without  them.  They  are  indispen- 
sable. But  what  we  think  it  necessary  to  object  to  and 
to  condemn,  is  a  disposition  which  sometimes  exists  to 
trust  in  our  feelings,  and  to  make  a  sort  of  idol  of  them, 
instead  of  trusting  ij?  Christ.     A  man,  for  instance,  ha5 


OF    THE    NATURAL    LIFE.  219 

experienced,  at  a  particular  time,  great  sorrow  for  sin,  or 
liigh  emotions  of  gratitude,  or  is  sunk  in  depths  of  hu- 
mility. If,  at  some  time  after,  his  mind  reverts  to  those 
feelings,  and  dwells  much  upon  them,  and  in  such  a 
manner  that  he  begins  to  place  a  degree  of  trust  and 
confidence  in  them,  instead  of  placing  his  trust  in  the 
Savior,  it  must  necessarily  be  to  his  great  injury.  It  is 
not  our  feelings,  but  Christ,  that  saves  us.  If  we  look 
to  our  feelings  for  salvation,  instead  of  looking  to  Christ, 
we  necessarily  miss  our  object ;  and  in  accordance  with 
this  view,  we  sometimes  find  persons  who  are  contin- 
ually examining,  and  reexamining,  and  poring  over,  their 
past  experience,  but  who  are  generally  in  much  darkness 
of  mind.  Probably,  without  being  fully  aware  of  it, 
they  are  secretly  looking  for  something  in  the  history 
of  their  past  feelings  which  they  can  place  their  trust 
in,  instead  of  turning  away  from  themselves,  which 
would  be  much  better,  and  looking  directly  upward  to 
a  sufiicient  and  present  Redeemer. 

This  distinction  is  a  real  one,  — viz.,  between  trusting 
in  our  feelings  and  trusting  in  the  Savior,  —  though  not 
very  obvious  at  first ;  and  is  highly  important  in  its  con- 
nection with  the  religious  life.  It  seems  to  me,  that 
religious  feelings  are  valuable,  and  can  be  valuable,  only 
as  they  tend,  in  their  ultimate  result,  to  unite  us  more 
and  more  closely  to  the  Divine  Mind.  If,  therefore,  we 
are  so  unwise  as  to  stop  and  to  rest  in  our  feelings  as  the 
ground  of  our  hope,  and  especially  if  we  take  a  degree 
of  complacency  in  them,  in  themselves  considered,  or 
because  they  may  properly  be  regarded  as  our  own 
feehngs,  we  not  only  stop  short  of  God,  to  whom  they 
should  lead  us,  but  pervert  them  — valuable  as  they  are 
in  their  proper  exercise  and  relations  —  to  our  own  ex- 
ceeding detriment. 

We  come  to  the  conclusion,  therefore,  and  repeat 
again,  that  we  should  not  place  any  reliance  upon  our 
feelings,  in  themselves  considered,  as  a  ground  of  ac- 
ceptance with  God;  and  also  that  we  should  not,  in  an\ 
point  of  view,  take  any  unduly  interested  and  selfish 


220  OF    THE    EXCISION    AN!     -CRUCIFIXION 

complacency  in  them.  We  must  banish  and  crucify  this 
form  of  idolatry  also,  which  is  none  the  less  dangerous 
for  being  so  interior  and  secret.  If,  in  the  exercise  of 
naked  faith,  we  will  turn  our  eyes  to  God  and  to  his 
glory  rather  than  to  ourselves,  we  shall  soon  experience 
a  divine  reaction  in  the  soul  itself,  and  shall  find  that 
God,  who  is  faithful  to  his  promise,  will  abundantly 
take  care  of  us  both  without  and  within.  We  shall 
then  have  both  the  right  degree  and  the  right  kind  of 
feelings.  We  shall  have  no  idols,  but  we  shall  have 
God;  and  we  shall  have  no  feelings  that  are  appropriate 
to  idols,  but  shall  have  the  feelings  which  are  appropri- 
ate to  God.  And  in  accordance  with  this  view,  and  in 
point  of  fact,  it  will  be  found  that,  of  two  Christians, 
the  one  who  is  the  most  penitent,  the  most  humble,  the 
most  grateful,  the  most  devoted  in  his  love,  will  think 
the  least  of  those  particular  exercises.  His  mind  will 
be,  as  it  wore,  out  of  himself.  You  will  see  him  living 
religion,  and  not  merely  talking  or  thinking  about  re- 
ligion. Such  a  person  will  hardly  be  conscious  of  his 
feelings,  considered  as  objects  of  distinct  contemplation 
and  thought,  and  will  know  them  chiefly  in  the  blessed 
result  of  increased  oneness  with  his  heavenly  Father. 
He  is  not  destitute  of  feeling ;  but  his  feeling  is,  if  we 
may  so  express  it,  not  so  much  to  dwell  upon  feeling 
and  to  trouble  himself  about  feeling,  as  to  lose  himself 
in  the  will  of  God.  Another  mind,  viz.,  "the  mind  of 
Christ,"  may  be  said  to  have  taken  inward  possession ; 
and  so  cose  is  the  union  which  has  now  been  formed 
between  himself  and  God,  that  he  finds  himself  per- 
plexed, and  at  a  loss,  to  discover  the  nature  and  opera- 
tions of  what  he  was  formerly  wont  to  call  his  own 
mind.  His  state  corresponds,  in  a  great  degree,  and 
perhaps  precisely,  to  what  is  implied  in  the  expressions 
of  the  apostle,  when  he  says,  Gal.  ii.  20,  "  I  am  cruci- 
fied with  Christ ;  nevertheless  I  live ;  yet  not  I,  but 
Christ  liveth  in  me.'' 

(Vn.)    We  observe,  again,  it  is  necessary,  in  order  to 
the  full  attainment  of  what  is  designed  for  the  Chris 


OF    THE    NATURAL    LIFE.  2'iH 

tian,  that,  in  the  continuance  of  this  process  of  excision 
and  crucifixion,  he  should  cut  off  and  crucify  the  de- 
sire of  internal  consolations  and  comforts.  We  do  not 
mean  to  imply,  in  this  remark,  that  the  advanced  and 
fully-established  Christian  is  in  a  situation  which,  either 
directly  or  indirectly,  is  inconsistent  with  a  full  share  of 
pleasurable  and  happy  experience.  On  the  contrary,  his 
consolations,  especially  when  he  has  found  his  true  cen- 
tre, and  has  fully  united  his  once  wandering  heart  to 
the  heart  of  God,  are  tranquil,  enduring,  and  substantial. 
But  to  think  of  such  consolations  much,  to  desire  them 
much,  and  especially  to  aim  at  them  as  an  ultimate  ob- 
ject, is  the  precise  way  to  miss  them.  I  think  it  is  very 
obvious  that  he  who  is  seeking  comfort,  as  an  ultimate 
object,  is  not  seeking  God,  but  seeking  himself.  He  is 
not  seeking  religion,  in  the  proper  sense  of  the  term, 
but  he  is  seeking  just  what  he  professes  to  seek,  viz 
comfoj't.  Such  seeking  is  in  vain.  There  is  but  one 
ultimate  object  at  which,  as  those  who  wish  to  know 
the  heights  and  depths  of  religion,  we  can  safely  aim 
viz.,  God  himself;  or,  what  may  be  considered  as  essen- 
tially the  same  thing,  a  sympathy  of  our  whole  being 
with  the  holy  will  of  God. 

It  will  be  understood  here,  that  we  have  not  refer- 
ence, in  these  remarks,  to  temporal  or  worldly  consola- 
tions, so  much  as  to  those  which  are  internal  and  spirit- 
ual. Nor  do  we  mean  to  say,  that  to  desire  spiritual 
consolations  and  comforts  is,  in  all  cases,  wrong.  But 
what  we  mean  to  assert  is,  that  we  cannot  desire  them 
and  seek  them,  out  of  the  will  of  God,  and  as  ultimate 
objects,  without  some  degree  of  spiritual  injury,  and 
without  falling  short  of  the  highest  attainments  in  the 
divine  life.  To  seek  them  in  the  way  the^?-  are  com- 
monly sought,  is  evidently  to  nourish  the  natural  life,  or 
the  life  of  self,  which  it  is  the  object  of  true  religion  to 
destroy.  The  question  was  once  put  to  a  pious  person, 
"whether  she  enjoyed  herself."  Her  answer  was  to 
this  effect  —  that  she  could  not  speak  positively  and 
promptly  in  regard  to  herself,  because  she  cndeavc^sd 
19* 


222  OF    THE    EXCISION    AND    CHIJCIFIXION 

to  forget  self ;  but  she  enjoyed  God.  The  reply  evi- 
dently involved  a  great  principle  in  religion.  No  one 
can  enter  into  the  true  rest  of  the  soul,  in  whom  the 
principle  of  self-love  exists  in  any  degree  inconsistent 
with  loving  God  with  the  whole  heart.  "O  my  God," 
says  the  pious  Lady  Maxwell,  "  hear  the  cries  of  one  on 
whom  thou  hast  had  mercy,  and  prepare  my  heart  to 
receive  whatever  Christ  has  purchased  for  me.  Allow 
me  not  to  rest  short  of  it.  Put  a  thorn  in  every  enjoy- 
ment^ a  worm  in  every  gourd,  that  loould  either  prevent 
my  being  ivholly  thine,  or  in  any  measure  retard  my 
progress  in  the  divine  lifey  * 

(VIII.)  Again,  if  we  would  be  what  the  Lord  would 
have  us  to  be,  we  must  be  wilHng,  in  the  spirit  of  in- 
ward crucifixion,  to  renounce  and  reject  all  other  natu- 
ral desires,  and  all  our  own  purposes  and  aims.  We  do 
not  mean  to  imply,  in  this  remark,  that  we  must  be  so 
far  lost  to  feeling  and  action  as  to  be  absolutely  without 
all  desires,  purposes,  and  aims,  whatever ;  but  that  there 
must  be  a  crucifixion  and  excision  of  all  desires  and 
purposes  which  spring  from  the  life  of  nature,  and  not 
from  the  Spirit  of  God.  In  other  words,  it  is  our  duty, 
as  those  who  would  glorify  God  in  all  things,  to  check 
every  natural  desire,  and  to  delay  every  contemplated 
plan  of  action,  until  we  can  learn  the  will  of  God,  and 
put  ourselves  under  a  divine  guidance.  Every  desire 
must  so  far  lose  its  natural  character  as  to  become  spir- 
itually baptized  and  sanctified,  before  it  can  be  accepta- 
ble to  God  ;  and  every  plan  of  action,  also,  must,  in  like 
manner,  have  a  divine  origin. 

This  principle  in  the  doctrines  of  holy  living  (a  prin- 
ciple which  we  had  occasion  to  remark  upon,  in  some 
of  its  aspects,  more  fully  in  a  former  chapter)  goes  very 
far,  and  strikes  deep.  The  desire  of  knowledge,  for 
instance,  is  generally  considered  a  very  innocent  one. 
But,  whenever  it  becomes  so  strong  as  to  disquiet  the 
inward  nature,  and  thus  to  perplex  our  intercourse  with 

*  Life  of  Lady  Maxwell,  chap.  iv. 


OF    THE    NATURAL    LIFE.  223 

God,  it  is  obviously  wrong.  It  ought  always,  tnerefore, 
to  be  subject  to  a  divine  teaching,  and  to  be  merged  and 
lost,  as  it  were,  like  all  the  other  natural  desires,  in  the 
supreme  desire  for  God's  glory  —  a  desire  which  evidently 
is  not  the  product  of  nature,  but  which  can  come  from 
the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost  alone. 

It  is  a  very  proper  remark  to  be  made,  also,  in  this 
connection,  that  our  most  intimate  friendships,  which 
involve  more  or  less  of  desire,  and  generally  strong  de- 
sire, must  be  crucified.  We  are  not  at  liberty  to  make 
an  idol  of  our  friends,  however  excellent  their  characters, 
or  however  closely  united  by  natural  ties.  Such  inordi- 
nate friendships  stand  between  the  soul  and  God,  and 
hinder  it  from  reaching  its  true  centre ;  and  we  do  not 
see  how  they  can  be  regarded,  in  the  divine  sight,  as 
better  than  any  other  forms  of  idolatry.  Even  if  those 
friends  are  eminent  Christians,  so  much  so  as  to  bear  the 
very  image  and  likeness  of  the  Savior  himself,  we  can- 
not let  our  affections  centre  upon  them,  so  as  to  make 
them  the  place  of  the  soul's  rest,  without  causing  injury 
and  offence  to  God. 

Without  pursuing  this  important  subject  farther,  — 
which  it  would  be  easy  to  do,  inasmuch  as  self,  in  the 
natural  man,  diffuses  itself  every  where,  — we  remark,  in 
the  last  place,  that,  whenever  we  reach  the  highest  re- 
sults in  religion,  we  shall  be  willing,  not  only  to  suffer 
a  separation  from  all  present  possessions  and  pleasures, 
both  of  body  and  mind,  in  subordination  to  the  will  of 
God,  but,  having  given  ourselves  to  God,  to  be  his  now 
and  his  forever,  shall  be  willing  to  leave  our  eternal  in- 
terests entirely  and  quietly  in  his  hands.  In  other  words, 
we  shall  possess  a  faith  in  the  goodness  and  holiness  of 
God's  character  so  strong,  so  unwavering,  as  to  overcome 
all  selfish  tendencies,  and  to  banish  all  anxiety,  all  dis- 
quieting fear  and  trouble,  in  respect  to  such  interests,  as 
well  as  in  respect  to  other  interests  ;  fully  believing  not 
only  in  the  promises  of  God,  but  also  that  whatever  he 
does  is  right,  and  never  can  be  otherwise  than  right  ; 
accounting  God's  glory  as  infinitely  more  precious  than 


224  OF    THE    EXCISION    AND    CRUCIFIXION 

any  thing  else  which  can  be  brought  into  comparison 
with  it ;  and  sincerely  adopting,  in  this  thing  as  in  every 
thing  else,  the  language  of  the  Savior,  '•  Not  as  1  will, 
but  as  thou  wilt."     "Thy  will  be  done." 

We  would  add  here,  that,  when  a  person  has  gone 
through  the  process  of  inward  crucifixion  in  its  entire 
length  and  breadth,  the  great  spiritual  result  is  the  com- 
plete extinction  of  all  selfishness  and  of  all  self-will  —  a 
result  brought  about  by  means  of  an  entire  and  un- 
changeable consecration,  attended  by  the  inwardly  op- 
erating and  searching  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  a 
result  which,  in  the  end,  is  so  minutely  explorative,  so 
thoroughly  destructive  of  those  inward  influences  which 
obstruct  the  presence  of  God  in  the  soul,  and  withal  so 
painful  oftentimes,  that  it  may  well  be  termed  the  bap 
TisM  OF  FIRE.  It  is  by  means  of  such  a  process  of  in- 
ward crucifixion  that  the  natural  life  dies ;  and  the  way 
is  thus  prepared  for  the  true  resurrection  and  life  of 
Christ  in  the  soul. 

(1.)  In  connection  with  the  subject,  we  would  make  a 
few  remarks,  which  seem  naturally  to  flow  out  of  it. 
And,  in  the  first  place,  some  will  say,  perhaps,  that  this 
doctrine,  if  true,  is  discouraging ;"  that  they  have  not 
gone  through  this  process  of  inward  crucifixion,  and 
therefore  are  not  Christians.  But  we  answer,  such  an 
inference  would  be  a  hasty  one.  But  I  think  we  may 
say  this  also :  if  such  persons  are  really  Christians,  they 
are  now  going  through  this  process.  The  little  leaven 
is  at  work  which  will  ultimately  affect  the  whole  lump. 
God  is  showing  them  their  idols,  and  slaying  them  one 
after  another,  in  order  that  he  himself  may  enter  and 
occupy  their  place.  We  must  not  think  to  go  to  heaven, 
and  at  the  same  time  carry  the  natural  life  with  us.  It 
must  be  slain,  and  loholly  slain,  sooner  or  latei. 

(2.)  We  remark,  again,  in  connection  with  this  subject, 
that,  in  some  persons,  though  not  in  many,  the  natural 
man,  in  the  comparative  sense  of  the  terms,  dies  easily. 
These  persons,  these  chosen  ones  of  the  liord,  seem  to 
have  an  intuitive  appreciation  of  what  God  justly  and 


OF    THE     NATURAL    :.IFE.  225 

necessarily  requires.  They  see,  with  the  clearness  ol 
light,  that  it  h  impossible  at  the  same  time  to  serve  God 
and  Mammon.  Accordingly,  they  submit  themselves 
to  the  leadings  and  the  power  of  God  without  resistance. 
They  yield  readily  and  -willingly,  like  the  lamb  that  is 
led  to  the  slaughter ;  and  the  result  is,  that  the  inward 
crucifixion,  though  not  less  deep  and  thorough,  is  per- 
sonally less  afflictive.  The  Holy  Spirit  proceeds  gently 
but  constantly  in  his  operations,  unbinding  every  tie  of 
nature,  cutting  loose  every  ligament  which  fastens  the 
soul  to  the  earth,  until,  in  its  freedom  from  the  slavery 
of  the  world,  it  expands  and  rejoices  in  the  liberty  of 
God. 

(3.)  Other  persons,  and,  we  may  add,  the  great  major- 
ity of  persons,  are  not  brought  to  this  state  of  freedom 
from  the  world,  and  of  union  with  God,  without  passing 
through  exceeding  afflictions,  both  external  and  internal. 
And  this  happens  partly  through  ignorance,  and  partly, 
and  more  generally,  through  self-will.  They  are  slow 
to  learn  what  is  to  be  done,  and  equally  reluctant  to 
submit  to  its  being  done.  God  desires  and  intends  that 
they  shall  be  his  ;  but,  the  hour  of  their  inward  redemp- 
tion not  being  fully  come,  they  still  love  the  world. 
They  attach  their  affections  first  to  one  object,  and  then 
to  another.  They  would,  perhaps,  be  pleased  to  have 
God  for  their  portion ;  but  they  must  have  something 
besides  God.  In  other  words,  they  vainly  imagine  that 
they  would  like  to  have  God  and  their  idols  at  the  same 
lime.  And  there  they  remain  for  a  time,  fixed,  obsti- 
nate, inflexible.  But  God  loves  them.  Therefore,  as 
they  will  not  learn  by  kindness,  they  must  learn  by  ter- 
ror. The  sword  of  Providence  and  the  Spirit  is  applied 
successively  to  every  tie  that  binds  them  to  the  world. 
Their  property,  their  health,  their  friends,  all  fall  before 
it.  The  inward  fabric  of  hopes  and  joys,  where  self- 
love  was  nourished  and  pride  had  its  nest,  is  levelled  to 
the  dust.  They  are  smitten  within  and  without ;  burned 
with  fire  ;  overwhelmed  with  the  waters ;  peeled,  and 
scathed,  and  blasted,  to  the  very  extremity  of  endur- 


226  OF    THE    EXCISION    AND    CRUCIFIXION 

ance  ;  till  they  learn,  in  this  dreadful  baptism,  the  incon- 
sistency of  the  attempted  worship  and  love  of  God  and 
Mammon  at  the  same  time,  and  are  led  to  see  that  God 
is  and  ought  to  be  the  true  and  only  Sovereign. 

(4.)  But  some  will  say,  perhaps,  We  are  thus  left  alone  , 
we  are  stripped  of  every  thing  which  once  gave  us 
pleasure  ;  we  are  reduced  to  a  state  of  mere  desolation 
and  nothingness.  And  we  may  add,  if  such  be  really 
the  result,  that  nothing  could  be  more  desirable.  But 
it  is  necessary  to  make  distinctions  here.  We  are  not 
reduced  to  an  absolute  nothingness,  —  a  nothingness  oi 
existence,  of  identity,  and  of  personal  capability,  —  but 
to  a  nothingness  of  self,  and  of  the  corrupt  life  of  na- 
ture. The  natural  life  is  taken  away ;  and  it  is  true, 
also,  that  every  idol  is  taken  away  to  which  the  life  of 
nature  clung  for  its  support.  But  there  is  this  consola- 
tion—  that  whatever  of  true  value,  external  to  the  soul 
itself,  is  taken  away  in  accomplishing  the  death  of  na- 
ture, is  abundantly  restored  again,  and  is  deprived,  too, 
of  all  hurtful  power,  in  the  subsequent  experience  of  the 
reviving  life  of  God.  We  find  that  all  which  is  neces- 
sary is  given  back  to  us  in  the  day  of  our  inward  resto- 
ration, and,  for  the  most  part,  increased  a  hundred  fold 
We  now  love  our  friends,  and  families,  and  whatever 
else  is  proper  to  be  loved  ;  but  we  do  it  in  a  different 
manner.  We  have  been  taught  a  lesson  which  it  is 
impossible  to  forget.  We  have  ceased  to  be  idolaters. 
We  henceforth  love  the  gifts  of  God,  which  we  had  laid 
upon  the  divine  altar  as  no  longer  our  own,  in  their 
source  more  than  in  their  termination,  and  not  so  much 
for  ourselves  as  for  the  sake  of  the  Giver. 

(5.)  And  this  brings  us  to  our  concluding  remark,  that 
from  the  death  of  nature  springs  a  new  life,  altogether 
different  from  that  which  is  crucified  and  dead ;  a  life 
born  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  bearing  the  image  of  the 
Savior.  Just  so  far,  then,  as  the  old  nature  has  expe- 
rienced a  crucifixion,  and  a  new  nature  has  taken  its 
place,  we  are  the  subjects  of  a  spir:[tual  resurrection  in 
Christ.     We  are  dead,  and  we  are  alive  again ;  dead  to 


OF    THE    NATURAL    LIFE.  227 

the  world,  and  alive  tc  God.  "  If  ye  then  be  risen  with 
Christ,"  says  the  apostle,  Col.  iii.  1 — 3,  "seek  those 
things  which  are  above,  where  Christ  sitteth  on  the  right 
hand  of  God.  Set  your  affections  on  things  above,  and 
not  on  things  ok.  the  earth.  For  ye  are  dead,  and  your 
life  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God." 

And  now,  in  the  experience  of  the  divinely  renovated 
life,  the  soul,  that  is  the  subject  of  it,  goes  forth,  not 
with  thp  marks  of  external  observation,  but  attended 
with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  with  power.  Such  a  one 
has  nothing  in  himself.  Self  is  taken  away.  But  he 
has  all  things  in  God.  At  this  point  commences  the 
true  apostolic  life.  Such  a  one  is  a  true  messenger, 
set  apart  to  labor  for  God  and  to  win  souls  ;  not  by  hu- 
man eloquence,  and  not  by  the  display  of  worldly  pomp  ; 
but  by  the  simplicity  of  holy  living,  and  by  the  word 
of  power  uttered  in  faith. 


"  If  tnou,  O  God,  wilt  make  my  spirit  free, 
Then  will  that  darkened  soul  be  free  indeed ; 

I  cannot  break  my  bonds  apart  from  thee  ; 

Without  thy  help  I  bow,  and  serve,  and  bleed. 

"  Arise,  O  Lord,  and,  in  thy  matchless  strength. 

Asunder  rend  the  links  my  heart  that  bind ; 
And  liberate,  and  raise,  and  save,  at  length, 

My  long-enthralled  and  subjugated  mind." 


228 


CHAPTER   ELEVENTH. 

ON    THE    NECESSITY    OF    POSSESSING    THE     GIFTS 
AND    GRACES   OF   GOD   IN   PURITY  OF   SPIRIT. 

It  is  difficult  to  express,  and  even  to  conceive  of,  the 
subtleties  and  insinuations  of  selfishness.  It  enters 
every  path ;  it  lurks  in  every  secret  place ;  and  wher- 
ever it  finds  its  way,  it  pollutes,  poisons,  and  destroys. 
It  sometimes  attaches  itself,  by  a  process  almost  imper- 
ceptible, to  God's  most  valuable  gifts  and  graces  ;  those 
which  are  spiritual,  as  well  as  those  which  are  natural. 
An  individual,  for  instance,  is  possessed  of  great  natural 
ability.  This  ability  is  a  gift  of  God.  But  how  often 
it  is  that  the  possessor,  thinking  but  little  of  the  great 
Author  of  the  gift,  regards  it  as  something  peculiarly 
his  own,  and,  instead  of  seeing  God  in  it,  sees  only  him- 
self! Almost  unconsciously  to  himself,  and  greatly  to 
his  spiritual  injury,  he  is  experiencing  a  secret  elevation 
of  spirit,  and  is  taking  a  hidden  complacency  in  an  in- 
tellectual possession,  which,  when  properly  considered, 
should  have  increasingly  detached  him  from  self,  and 
led  him  nearer  to  his  Maker. 

But  what  is  surprising,  and  almost  inexplicable,  there 
is  danger  of  the  same  insinuating  and  infectious  influ- 
ence attaching  itself  even  to  the  spiritual  gifts  of  God. 
It  is  an  important  fact,  on  whatever  principles  it  may  be 
explained,  that  the  possession  of  holiness  does  not  ex- 
clude the  liability  to  an  opposite  state.  Satan,  when 
expelled  from  the  heart,  will  endeavor  to  find  the  means 
of  returning  ;  and  nothing  can  prevent  it  but  the  closest 
and  most  constant  circumspection,  aided  by  the  grace  of 
God.     "  Watch  and  pray,  lest  ye  enter  nito  temptation  !  " 

A  man,  for  instance,  is  endowed,  through  the  opera- 


ON    POSSESbING    THK    GIFTS     OF    GOD    IN    PURITY.      220 

tioiis  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  with  the  invahiable  grace  of 
nuMiLiiY.  He  ascribes  nothing  to  himself.  He  takes 
a  low  place,  and  he  feels  that  he  ought  to  take  a  low 
place,  before  God.  But,  before  he  is  aware  of  it,  unless 
he  is  constantly  on  his  watch,  self-love  is  secretly  wind- 
ing itself  about  this  ennobling  Christian  affection,  and 
endeavoring  to  extract  some  personal  merit  out  of  it. 
There  is  a  secret  and  almost  imperceptible  feeling,  (for 
in  this  matter  Satan  is  careful  not  to  show  himself  too 
prominently,)  not  only  that  his  humility  is  some  evi- 
dence in  his  favor,  but  that  his  humility  itself  is  worth 
something. 

Again,  how  often  it  is  that  the  man,  who  possesses 
true  Christian  benevolence,  is  assailed  in  the  same  insid- 
ious way  !  There  is  no  question  that  he  is  truly  benevo- 
lent, and  benevolent  too  on  the  highest  Christian  prin- 
ciples ;  but  after  a  time  he  begins,  almost  unconsciously 
to  himself,  to  poison  this  eminent  Christian  grace  by  an 
infusion  of  self-gratulation.  Even  the  missionary  of 
the  Cross,  as  he  toils  beneath  the  frozen  skies  of 
Greenland,  or  amid  the  burning  sands  of  Africa,  finds 
the  secret  but  deceptive  suggestion  springing  up,  he 
hardly  knows  whence  or  how,  that  his  life  of  toil  and  suf- 
fering has  some  little  merit,  which  he  can  call  his  own. 

And  similar  results  may  be  noticed  in  other  cases. 
The  soul,  charmed  by  some  soothing  and  insidious  whis- 
pers, begins  to  lull  itself  to  rest,  and  to  repose  upon  the 
couch  of  its  own  virtues,  its  humility,  its  gratitude,  its 
inviolable  veracity,  its  benevolence,  or  some  other  moral 
and  Christian  grace,  instead  of  resting  exclusively  upon 
the  merits  of  Christ,  and  ascribing  its  gifts  and  graces  to 
the  mere  mercy  of  God.  These  views  will  apply  essen- 
tially, among  other  things,  to  joyous  states  of  mind 
The  Scriptures  abundantly  assure  us,  that  there  is  such 
a  state  of  mind  as  holy  joy.  But  true  joy,  "  the  joy  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,"  flows  up  and  refreshes  the  inward 
heart  as  a  pure  fountain,  only  so  long  as  the  soul  is  fixed 
upon  God,  as  the  centre  of  its  thought  and  of  its  undi- 
vided affection.  As  soon  as  we  begin  to  think  how 
20 


230       ON    THE    NECESSITY    OF    POSSESSING    THE    GIFTS 

happy  we  are,  and  to  dwell  upon  and  to  please  ourselves 
with  the  thought,  the  joy  itself  becomes  an  offence,  and 
diffuses  a  secret  but  destructive  influence  through  the 
inward  life.  To  be  happy  in  our  own  happiness,  instead 
of  being  happy  in  God,  is  to  drink  from  a  cistern  of 
our  own  construction,  "a  broken  cistern  which  can  hold 
no  water,"  And  it  is  in  connection  with  such  views  and 
facts,  that  Fenelon  has  very  correctly  said,  that  ''  the  most 
eminent  graces  are  the  most  deadly  poisons,  if  we  rest 
in  them  and  regard  them  with  complacency,"  "  It  is  the 
sin,"  he  adds,  "  of  the  fallen  angels  ;  they  only  turned  to 
themselves  and  regarded  with  complacency  their  state ; 
at  that  instant  they  fell  from  heaven,  and  became  the 
enemies  of  God.^^ 

It  is  exceedingly  important,  therefore,  that  all  the 
Christian  gifts  and  graces  should  be  possessed  in  purity 
of  spirit,  uncontaminated  by  any  unholy  mixtures  of  an 
earthly  nature.  The  mere  suggestion,  that  they  have 
merit  of  themselves  and  separate  from  the  God  who 
gives  them,  if  it  be  received  with  the  least  complacency, 
necessarily  inflicts  a  deep  Avound.  They  are  accord- 
ingly held  in  purity  of  spirit,  and  with  the  divine  ap- 
probation, only  when  their  tendency  is  to  separate  the 
soul  from  every  thing  inward  and  outward,  considered 
as  objects  of  complacency  and  of  spiritual  rest,  and  to 
unite  it  more  and  more  closely  to  God.  In  the  language 
of  the  writer  just  now  referred  to,  "  we  must  sacrifice 
even  the  gifts  of  God  ;  "  that  is  to  say,  we  must  cease  to 
regard  them  and  to  take  complacency  in  them,  in  them- 
selves considered,  that  we  may  have  God  himself.  We 
do  not  find  the  parent,  who  has  that  degree  of  aftection 
for  his  child  which  may  be  called  entire  or  perfect  love, 
making  his  love  a  distinct  object  of  his  thoughts,  and 
rejoicing  in  it  as  such  a  distinct  object ;  that  would  not 
be  the  genuine  operation  of  perfect  love.  If  his  love  is 
perfect,  he  has  no  time  and  no  disposition  to  think  of 
any  thing  but  the  beloved  object,  towards  which  his  affec- 
tions are  directed  His  love  is  so  deep,  so  pure,  so  fixed 
and  centred  upon  one  point,  that  the  sight  of  self,  and 


AND    GRACES    OF    GOD    IN    PURITY     OF     SPIRIT.         231 

ot  his  own  personal  exercises,  is  lost.  It  ought  to  be 
thus  in  the  feelings  which  we  exercise  towards  God  ; 
and  undoubtedly  such  will  be  the  result,  when  the  reli- 
gious feeling  has  reached  a  certain  degree  of  intensity  ; 
that  is  to  say,  when  the  feeling  is  perfect,  the  mind  is 
not  occupied  with  the  feeling  itself,  but  with  the  object 
of  the  feeling.  The  heart,  if  we  may  so  express  it, 
seems  to  recede  from  us  ;  it  certainly  does  so  as  an 
object  of  distinct  contemplation  ;  and  the  object  of  its 
affections  comes  in  and  takes  its  place.  O  the  blessed- 
ness of  the  heart,  that,  free  from  self  and  its  secret  and 
pernicious  influences,  sees  nothing  but  God  ;  that  recog- 
nizes, even  in  its  highest  gifts  and  graces,  nothing  but 
God  ;  that  would  rather  be  infinitely  miserable  with 
God,  if  it  were  possible,  than  infinitely  happy  with- 
out him ! 

In  connection  with  these  remarks,  we  are  enabled  to 
understand  and  appreciate  the  state  of  mind,  which  is 
described  in  some  primitive  writers  on  interior  experi- 
ence, as  a  state  of  cessation  from  "  reflex  acts."  By  re- 
flex ACTS,  as  we  employ  the  phrase  here,  and  as  it 
appears  to  be  employed  by  the  writers  referred  to,  we 
mean  those  acts  of  the  mind,  in  which  the  soul  turns 
inward  upon  itself,  and,  ceasing  for  a  time  to  regard  the 
mere  will  of  God  as  the  only  good,  takes  a  self-conscious 
satisfaction  in  its  own  exercises.  Such  acts,  when  they 
are  indulged  in,  stand  directly  in  the  way  of  the  high- 
est results  of  the  religious  life.  On  the  other  hand,  he, 
who  has  entirely  ceased  to  put  forth  acts  of  this  kind, 
and  loves  God  to  the  entire  forgetfulness  of  self,  losing 
sight  even  of  his  own  exercises,  in  consequence  of  being 
fully  occupied  with  an  infinitely  higher  object,  has 
reached  the  broad  and  calm  position  of  spiritual  rest, 
the  region  of  inward  and  abiding  peace  —  a  region 
where  there  is  no  noisy  clamor  ;  no  outcries  and  contests 
of  the  passions  ;  no  contrivances  of  prejudice,  interest, 
and  ambition ;  no  rebellious  sighing  and  tears  of  the 
natural  spirit ;  but  all  is  hushed  and  lost  in  the  one  deep 
conviction  that  there  is  nothing  good,  nothing  perma 


232      ON    POSSKSSING    THfc.    GIFTS    OF    GOD    IN    PURITY. 

nently  true,  nothing  desirable,  — no,  not  in  heaven  itself, 
—  but  pure  and  everlasting  union  with  the  will  of  God. 
Of  such  a  soul  it  may  be  said  eminently,  that  it  holds  the 
gifts  of  God  in  purity  ;  since  it  loses  the  distinct  per- 
ception and  knowledge  of  the  gifts,  in  the  consciousness 
of  union  with  the  Giver. 


'♦  Lord,  thou  hast  won ;  at  length  I  yield 
My  heart,  by  mighty  grace  compelled, 

Surrenders  all  to  thee. 
Against  thy  terrors  long  I  strove ; 
But  who  can  stand  against  thy  lovs'' 

Love  conquers  even  me.' 


I 


233 


CHAPTER    TWELFTH. 

REMARKS    ON    INTERIOR   TRIALS    AND    DESOLA^iIONS 


It  is  perhaps  a  common  opinion,  that  those  who  are 
greatly  advanced  in  religion,  and  have  experienced  what 
may  properly  be  regarded  as  the  grace  of  present  sanc- 
tification,  are  not  very  much  tried  and  afflicted.  They 
are  supposed  to  possess  not  only  an  inheritance  of  con- 
stant peace,  but  of  much  joy. 

That  a  truly  sanctified  person  is  never  in  darkness, 
in  one  sense  of  the  term,  viz.,  condemnatory  darkness,  — 
in  other  words,  that  he  never  loses  the  grace  of  a  con- 
fiding trust  in  God  and  of  solid  internal  peace,  which 
his  Savior  has  given  to  him  as  his  inheritance,  —  is  un- 
doubtedly true.  If  there  ever  be  an  exception,  — as,  for 
instance,  when  the  mental  powers  are  depressed  and 
darkened  by  the  pressure  of  some  physical  disease,  —  yet 
such  exceptions  are  probably  few  in  number,  are  explain 
able  on  principles  peculiar  to  themselves,  and  are  not  to 
be  regarded  as  essentially  affecting  the  general  doctrine. 

But  although  those  who  are  wholly  devoted  to  God 
may  be  said  always  to  have  a  solid  and  permanent  peace, 
it  is  not  true  that  they  are  exempt  from  heavy  afflic- 
tions, both  external  and  internal.  On  the  contrary,  there 
is  some  reason  to  believe,  that  those  who  love  most 
will  suffer  most ;  that  those  who  are  the  strongest  in  the 
Lord  will  have  the  heaviest  burden  to  bear.  "In  the 
world,"  says  the  Savior,  "  ye  shall  have  tribulation." 
"  For  unto  you  it  is  given,  in  the  behalf  of  Christ,"  says 
the  apostle,  in  his  Epistle  to  the  Philippians,  "  not  only 
to  believe  on  him,  but  also  to  suffer  for  his  sake."  It  is 
important  to  understand  this,  to  know  that  it  is  our  lot 
20* 


234 


REMARKS    ON    INTERIOR 


and  our  privilege  to  be  partakers  of  Christ's  sufferings, 
so  that  those  who  enter  into  the  way  of  holy  living  — 
which  is  just  what  it  is  described  to  be,  viz.,  a  narrow 
loay — may  not  be  discouraged  and  overcome  in  the 
season  of  heavy  trial.  Satan  will  say  to  them,  at  such 
times,  "  Where  now  is  your  God  ?  "  And  it  is  exceeding- 
ly desirable  that  they  should  know  how  to  answer  him. 

First.  It  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  a  holy  soul, 
one  that  has  experienced  the  richness  of  sanctifying 
grace,  will  oftentimes  be  much  afflicted  in  consequence 
of  not  finding  in  others  a  spirit  corresponding  to  its  own. 
In  the  present  state  of  the  world,  when  practical  holiness 
is  but  partially  understood  and  still  less  realized,  such  a 
soul,  although  the  social  principle  remains  strong  in  it,  is 
necessarily  solitary  to  a  considerable  degree.  How  can 
it  enter  with  spirit  and  eagerness  into  worldly  conversa- 
tion ?  How  can  it  participate,  with  any  degree  of  relish, 
in  vain,  worldly  amusements  and  pleasures  ?  Such  souls 
are  sometimes  borne  down  with  the  desire  of  imparting 
to  others  the  spiritual  tidings  which  God  has  inwardly 
communicated  to  them.  But  they  find  few,  and  perhaps 
none,  that  are  ready  and  willing  to  hear  them.  And  thus 
they  sit  alone  in  secret  places,  and  shed  in  silence  the 
solitary  tear. 

Second.  They  are  afflicted  in  view  of  the  condition 
of  the  church.  With  all  disposition  to  be  grateful  for 
what  amount  of  piety  there  is,  and  also  to  make  all  due 
allowance  for  the  deficiencies  that  exist,  they  perceive, 
and  cannot  help  perceiving,  that  the  church  is,  to  a  con- 
siderable extent,  in  bondage.  They  see  very  distinctly 
that  she  lives  far  below  her  duties  and  privileges  —  those 
duties  and  privileges  to  which  her  God  calls  her.  It  is 
their  sympathy  with  the  Divine  Mind,  as  well  as  their 
sorrow  for  the  church,  which  affects  them.  How  can 
they  possibly  be  without  grief,  in  view  of  the  insulted 
honor  and  the  disregarded  beneficence  of  the  God  whom 
they  love  ?  And  if  this  were  possible,  —  as  it  certainly 
cannot  be,  —  how  is  it  possible  for  them  to  refrain  from 
weeping,  when  the  church,  for  whom  their    blef;ding 


TRIALS    AND    DESOLATIONS.  235 

Savior  has  purchased  garments  of  light,  voUintarily  walk 
in  sordid  and  defiled  habiliments  ? 

Third.  They  have  feelings  of  deep  compassion  and 
sorrow  for  sinners,  which  others  have  not.  We  would 
not  assert,  that  these  feehngs  are  always  stronger  than 
those  of  other  persons ;  but  they  appear  to  be  more  deep- 
ly rooted  in  the  mind  ;  more  thoroughly  based  upon 
principle  ;  more  permanent  and  unchangeable.  In  view 
of  the  situation  of  sinners,  they  may  even  be  said  to  have 
continual  heaviness  ;  not  a  heaviness  which  is  periodi- 
cal ;  which  goes  and  comes  with  a  change  of  circum- 
stances ;  but  is,  at  least  in  a  modified  sense  of  the  term, 
continual.  There  is  this  peculiarity,  however,  that  their 
sorrow,  however  deep  it  may  be,  is  always  calm.  While 
they  think  much  of  sinners,  they  think  more  of  God. 
And  they  know  that  God  will  be  glorified,  though  sin- 
ners are  destroyed.  This  consideration  imparts  a  tran- 
quillity of  mind,  which  may  sometimes  be  supposed  to 
originate  in  absence  of  feeling.  This  calm,  deep-rooted 
sorrow,  in  view  of  the  danger  of  sinners  and  of  the  dis- 
honor which  they  put  upon  God,  .il though,  in  accordance 
with  the  laws  of  the  human  mind,  it  has  its  alternations 
with  other  feelings,  and  is  subject  to  occasional  variations, 
may  yet  be  said,  with  a  high  degree  of  truth,  to  be 
always  with  them.  It  is  in  this  respect  peculiarly  that 
they  may  be  said  to  sympathize  with  the  blessed  Savior 
in  bearing  the  burden  of  the  cross  ;  since  there  can  be 
no  doubt  that  it  was  on  account  of  others,  far  more  than 
his  own,  that  he  was  afflicted  in  the  world,  was  "  a  man 
of  sorrows  and  acquainted  with  grief." 

Fourth.  But  this  is  not  all.  God  sometimes  sees  fit 
to  impose  upon  these,  his  beloved  children,  internal  as 
well  as  external  crosses.  There  seems  to  be  almost  a 
necessity  for  this.  "  The  life,  which  they  now  live,  they 
live  by  faith  on  the  Son  of  God."  The  Christian  life 
is  truly  and  emphatically  a  life  of  faith.  A  life  of  faith 
IS  necessarily  the  opposite  of  a  life  of  direct  vision.  And 
how  can  the  principle  of  faith  operate,  much  more  how 
can  it  acquire  strength,  unless  God  shall  at  times  with- 


236  REMARKS    ON    INTERIOR 

draw  himself  from  the  direct  vision,  and  leave  the  soul 
to  iti^  own  obscurity?  If  a  man,  wishing  to  test  the 
spirit  of  obedience  in  his  son,  commands  the  son  to  fol- 
low him  in  a  certain  direction,  does  he  not  render  his 
own  test  unavailable,  by  taking  him  by  the  hand  and 
dragging  him  along  ?  And  so  our  heavenly  Father,  if 
he  wishes  to  test  and  to  strengthen  onr  faith,  must  he 
not  sometimes  take  us  out  of  the  region  of  openness  and 
clearness  of  s  ght,  and  place  us  in  the  midst  of  entangle- 
ments, uncertainties,  and  shadows  ?  What  we  need, 
what  we  must  have,  what  is  absolutely  indispensable  to 
our  interior  salvation,  is  faith  ;  faith  which  gives  the  vic- 
tory ;  faith  strong,  unwavering,  adamantine.  It  was  by 
want  of  faith  that  we  fell  ;  it  is  by  want  of  faith  that  we 
are  kept  in  continual  bondage ;  and  it  is  only  by  the  res- 
toration of  faith  that  we  can  sunder  the  chains  that 
shackle  us,  and  walk  forth  in  spiritual  freedom.  But 
faith  can  never  arise  to  that  degree  of  invigoration,  which 
our  necessities  so  imperiously  demand,  while  we  are 
permitted  to  Avalk  continually  in  the  field  of  open  vision 
and  under  the  sunlight  of  present  manifestations.  Hence 
there  seems  to  be  a  necessity,  that  he  who  has  made 
us,  and  who  loves  us  with  an  infinity  of  love,  should 
nevertheless,  sometimes  wrap  himself  in  the  majesty  of 
uncreated  darkness,  in  order  that  we  may  learn  the  great 
lesson  of  following  God  without  seeing  him,  and  of 
appreciating  his  uttered  word,  his  simple  declaration, 
at  the  same  value  with  his  manifested  realities  and  acts. 
It  is  here,  then,  that  we  find  the  secret  reason,  that 
God  sees  fit  to  leave  to  interior  desolations  and  sorrows 
those  who  are  truly  his  sanctified  people.  Hence  it  is 
that  he  not  only  shows  us  the  vanities  of  the  world  and 
the  desolations  of  the  church,  the  present  and  prospective 
wretchedness  of  impenitent  sinners,  — a  burden,  without 
any  thing  else  to  enhance  it,  which  is  heavy  to  be  borne, 
—  but  he  also  withdraws  at  times  the  light  of  present 
manifestations  ;  he  withholds  the  comfort  of  inward  sensi- 
ble joys  ;  he  leaves  the  understanding,  and  even  at  times 
the  affections,  in  a  painful  state  of  comparative  inert 


TRIALS    AND    DESOLATIONS.  237 

ness  and  aridity;  he  permits  Sataa,  in  addition  to  these 
fearful  evils,  to  assail  us  with  his  fiery  darts,  injecting 
into  the  intellect  a  multitude  of  unholy  thoughts,  and 
besieging  us  continually  with  sharp  and  varied  temp- 
tations. But  there  still  remains  the  blessed  privilege  of 
believing.  We  can  still  say,  "  Our  expectation  is  from 
the  Lord."  We  still  have  the  privilege  of  declaring, 
even  in  the  deep  dejection  and  brokenness  of  our  hearts, 
"  Though  he  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust  in  him." 

Happy  are  they  who  endure  these  grievous  trials 
without  shrinking.  Thrice  happy,  who,  like  soldiers  in 
a  severe  contest,  that  have  lost  all  but  honor,  can  still 
assert,  the  enemy  has  not  taken  the  standard  with  which 
they  went  into  battle  ;  and  that,  in  the  loss  of  all  things 
else,  they  still  retain  their  confidence  in  God.  Such 
souls  are  not  only  redeemed,  but  purified.  They  have 
passed  the  decisive  test,  the  object  of  which  is  to  ascer- 
tain whether  they  love  God  for  himself  or  for  his  favors, 
and  have  not  been  found  wanting.  If  there  were  dross 
upon  them  before,  it  has  been  burned  off  in  this 
fiery  trial.  In  the  purification  and  strengthening  of  our 
faith,  (that  glorious  principle  which  unites  us  to  God, 
and  which  opens  in  the  heart  the  full  fountains  of  sub- 
mission, gratitude,  and  love,)  we  are  recompensed,  and 
more  than  recompensed,  for  the  temporary  loss  of  all 
outward  goods  and  all  interior  consolations.  Henceforth 
there  is  union  between  the  soul  and  its  Beloved.  It 
has  no  more  occasion  to  say,  "  My  God,  my  God,  why 
hast  thou  forsaken  me  ?  "  He  returns  with  assurances, 
that  wipe  away  present  tears,  and  give  the  presage  of 
future  victories.  God,  in  his  condescension,  permits 
himself  to  be  conquered.     Infinite  Love  is  led  captive. 


[In  connection  with  the  remarks  of  this  chapter,  we  take  the  liberty 
to  introduce  to  the  reader  some  stanzas  of  Madame  Guyon,  translated 
into  English  by  the  poet  Cowper,  which  seem  in  a  happy  manner  to 
express  the  state  of  a  soul  which  is  temporarily  left  to  interior  deso 
lations.] 


I 

238  THE    TRIAL    OF    CHRISTIAN    FAITH. 


THE   TRIAL   OF   CHRISTIAN   FAITH. 


'TwAS  my  purpose,  on  a  day, 

To  embark  and  sail  away. 

As  I  climbed  the  vessel's  side, 

Love  was  sporting  in  the  tide. 

"  Come,"  he  said,  "ascend;  make  haste; 

Launch  into  the  boundless  waste." 

Many  mariners  were  there. 
Having  each  his  separate  care  ; 
They  that  rowed  us  held  their  eyes 
Fixed  upon  the  starry  skies ; 
Others  steered,  or  turned  the  sails 
To  receive  the  shifting  gales. 

Love,  with  power  divine  supplied, 
Suddenly  my  courage  tried. 
In  a  moment  it  was  night ; 
Ship  and  skies  were  out  of  sight. 
On  the  briny  wave  I  lay, 
Floating  rushes  all  my  stay. 

Did  I  with  resentment  burn 

At  this  unexpected  turn  i 

Did  I  wish  myself  on  shore, 

Never  to  forsake  it  more .' 

No  :  "  My  soul,"  —  I  cried,  "  be  still , 

If  I  must  be  lost,  I  will." 

Next  he  hastened  to  convey 
Both  my  frail  supports  away  ; 
Seized  my  rushes  ;  bade  the  waves 
Yawn  into  a  thousand  graves. 
Down  I  went,  and  sank  as  lead, 
Ocean  closing  o'er  my  head. 

Still,  however,  life  was  safe  ; 

And  I  saw  him  turn  and  laugh. 

"  Friend,"  cried  he,  "  adieu  !  lie  low 

While  the  wintry  storms  shall  blow ; 

When  the  spring  has  calmed  the  main. 

You  shall  rise  and  float  again." 

Soon  I  saw  him,  with  dismay, 
Spread  his  wings  and  soar  away. 
Now  I  mark  his  rapid  flight ; 
Now  he  leaves  my  aching  sight. 
He  is  gone  whom  I  adore  ' 
'Tis  in  vain  to  seek  him  more. 


THE    TRIAL    Or    CHRISTIAN    FAITH.  239 

How  I  trembled,  then,  and  feared, 
When  my  Love  had  disappeared  1 
*'  Wilt  thou  leave  me  thus,"  I  cried, 
'  Whelmed  beneath  the  rolling  tide  ? 
Vain  attempt  to  reach  his  ear  ! 
Love  was  gone,  and  would  not  hear. 

"  Ah  !  return,  and  love  me  stiii ' 

See  rae  subject  to  thy  will. 

Frown  with  wrath,  or  smile  with  grace, 

Only  let  me  see  thy  face. 

Evil  I  have  none  to  fear ; 

All  is  good,  if  thou  art  near. 

"  Yet  he  leaves  me  —  cruel  fate  ! 
Leaves  me  in  my  lost  estate. 
Have  I  sinned .'     O,  say  wherein  • 
Tell  me,  and  forgive  my  sin  ! 
King  and  Lord,  whom  I  adore, 
Shall  I  see  thy  face  no  more  .-* 

"  Be  not  angry  :  I  resign, 

Henceforth,  ail  my  will  to  thine.  * 

I  consent  that  thou  depart. 

Though  thine  absence  break  ray  heart  • 

Go,  then,  and  forever  too  !  ' 

All  is  right  that  thou  wilt  do." 

This  was  just  what  Love  intended  ; 
He  was  now  no  more  offended. 
Soon  as  1  became  a  child. 
Love  returned  to  me  and  smiled. 
Never  strife  shall  more  betide 
*T\rixt  the  Bridegroom  and  his  bride. 


240 


CHAPTER    THIRTEENTH. 


OF    THE   NEW   LIFE   IN   THE   IMAGE   OF  CHRIST 


["Therefore,  if  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature.  Olu 
things  are  passed  away  :  behold,  all  things  are  become  new." 
2  Cor.  V.  17.  "  For  even  hereunto  were  ye  called ;  because  Christ 
also  sufl>red  for  us,  leaving  us  an  example,  that  ye  should  follow  h\n 
steps."     1  Pet.  ii.  21.] 

The  old  life  perishes,  in  order  that  there  may  be  a 
new  creation  in  Christ.  The  deformity  of  the  ancient 
nature  passes  away,  and  the  image  of  Christ  in  the 
soul  takes  its  place.  And  we  can  try  and  be  assured 
of  the  truth  of  the  resurrection  from  the  death  of  sin, 
only  by  its  likeness  to  the  life  of  the  Savior.  It  is  a 
matter  of  great  gratitude,  therefore,  that  the  gospel  not 
only  delineates  holiness,  which  is  but  another  name  for 
the  true  inward  life,  by  means  of  abstract  statements, 
but  represents  it  visibly  and  sensibly  in  the  beautiful 
mirror  of  the  Savior's  personal  history.  This  is  a  mir- 
ror which  it  is  necessary  for  every  Christian,  and  es- 
pecially for  those  who  are  earnestly  seeking  the  entire 
sanctification  of  the  heart,  to  contemplate  prayerfully 
and  unceasingly.  The  more  we  study  the  life  of  Christ, 
if  we  do  it  with  a  consecrated  and  prayerful  spirit,  the 
more  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  we  shall  be  like  him. 
And  in  proportion  as  we  bear  his  likeness,  will  those 
various  imperfections  and  inconsistencies  which  often 
mar  the  lives  of  his  followers  disappear.  We  propose, 
therefore,  in  the  present  chapter,  to  mention  briefly 
some  of  the  traits  of  character  which  are  conspicuous 
in  the  life  of  our  Savior,  and  which  present  themselves 
particularly  to  our  notice  and  observation  ;    beginning 


OF    THE    NEW    I,IFE    IN    THE    IMAGE    OF    CHRIST.       241 

ivith  those  which,  in  consequence  of  their  close  alliance 
with  the  constitution  of  human  nature,  seem  to  have  a 
natural  as  well  as  a  religious  character. 

(I.)    And  accordingly   we  proceed  to  remark,  in  the 
first    place,  that  the  Savior,  considered  in  his   human 
nature,  was  a  man  of  sympathy.     And  in  making  this 
remark,  we  mean  to  imply,  that  he  was  a  man  of°sym- 
pathy  on  natural  as  well  as  on  religious  principles  ;  sym- 
pathetic as  a  man,  as  well  as  sympathetic  as  a  religious 
man.     And  as  such,  it  is  very  obvious,,  from  the  Scrip- 
tures, that  he  felt  a  deep  interest  in  all  those  who  are  the 
proper  objects  both  of  natural  and  religious  sympathy ; 
for  the  sick,  for    the  poor,  the  ignorant,   the  tempted,' 
the  suffering  of  all  classes  and  conditions.     Although  he 
loved  religious  retirement,  and  knew,  more  than  any  one 
else,  the  inestimable  privilege  of  being  alone  with  God, 
he  felt  deeply  the  claims  of  a  common  humanity  ;  and  in 
obedience  to  those  claims  came  forth,  and  lived,  and  suf- 
fered among  men  ;  weeping  with  those  who  wept,  and 
rejoicing  with  those  who  rejoiced.     He  gave  no  counte- 
nance to    an   exclusively    solitary    religion ;    a  religion 
which,  under  the  name  of  meditation  and  prayer,  shuts 
itself  up  in  barren  insulation,  and  has  no  deep  and  oper- 
ative sympathy  with  men.     Where  there  were  v/ounds 
to  be  healed,  whether  mentally  or  bodily  ;  where  there 
were  tears  to  be  dried  up ;  whenever  and  wherever  he 
could  add  to  the  amount  of  human  happiness,  or  detract 
from  the  sum  of  human  misery,  he  was  present. 

He  deeply  sympathized  with  those  who  are  the  sub- 
jects of  religious  trials  and  duties,  especially  with  the 
beginners  in  the  divine  life,  with  the  weak  ones  and 
lambs  of  his  flock.  Accordingly,  he  adapted  his  instruc- 
tions to  their  capacity  of  understanding,  and  also  to 
their  present  degree  of  advancement  and  strength  of 
purpose.  And  hence  it  is  that,  on  a  certain  occasion, 
after  having  made  some  communications  to  his  disciples, 
he  added,  "I  have  yet  many  things  to  say  unto  you, 
but  ye  cannot  hear  them  no?^."  It  is  expressly  said,  in 
allusion  to  this    interesting    trait  of  his  character,  ".? 


•>i 


242  OF    THE     NEW    Lli'E 

bruised  reed  he  shall  not  break,  and  smoking  flax  he  shall 
not  quench." 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  add,  that  those  who,  in  ex- 
periencing the  inward  restoration,  have  been  raised  anew 
in  the  image  of  Christ's  likeness,  will  exhibit  this  in- 
teresting trait  in  a  marked  degree.  There  can  be  no 
such  thing  as  a  truly  holy  heart,  which  is  destitute  of  a 
pure  and  deep  sympathy. 

(II.)  We  may  mention,  in  the  second  place,  as  a  trait 
somewhat  closely  allied  to  that  which  has  just  been 
specified,  that  the  Savior  was  susceptible  of,  and  that  he 
actually  formed,  to  some  extent,  personal  friendships 
AND  INTIMACIES.  It  would  bc  Unreasonable  to  doubt,  that 
he  had  a  sincere  affection — analogous  probably  in  its 
nature  to  the  filial  and  fraternal  affections  in  other  cases 
—  to  his  mother,  his  reputed  father,  and  his  brethren  and 
sisters  after  the  flesh.  Certainly,  we  have  an  evidence 
of  this  declaration  in  part,  not  only  in  the  fact  of  his 
dwelling  so  long  with  them  as  he  did,  but  in  the  cir- 
cumstance that,  when  he  was  suspended  in  the  agonies 
of  the  cross,  he  commended  his  mother  to  the  care  of 
the  disciple  John.  It  would  hardly  be  consistent  with 
the  doctrine  of  his  humanity,  and  would  certainly  be  at 
variance  with  the  many  developments  of  his  life  as  the 
"  Son  of  man,"  to  suppose  that  he  did  not  form  a  strong 
personal  attachment  to  the  little  company  of  his  disci- 
ples. It  is  said  expressly,  in  especial  reference  to  his 
disciples,  "  having  loved  his  own,  which  were  in  the 
world,  he  loved  them  to  the  end."  It  is  also  explicitly 
narrated,  that  he  loved  Mary,  and  Martha,  and  Lazarus, 
the  favored  family  of  Bethany,  whom  he  often  visited. 
The  disciple  John,  in  particular,  is  characterized  as  the 
disciple  whom  Jesus  loved.  As  he  was  set  before  us  as 
an  example,  that  we  should  follow  him,  this  interesting 
trait,  which  resulted  in  the  formation  of  friendly  and 
affectionate  intimacies,  is  what  we  should  naturally 
expect  to  find  in  him.  And  furthermore,  as  one  wbo 
came  to  suffer  as  well  as  to  act,  as  a  "man  of  sorrows 
and  acquainted  with  grief,"  had  he  not  some  need  even 


IN    THE    IMAGE    OF    CHRIST.  243 

of  human  sympathy?  And  if  this  suggestion  be  well 
foLinded,  where  would  he  be  disposed  to  look  for  the 
consolations,  which  even  the  sympathy  of  men  is  capa- 
ble of  affording,  except  in  the  bosoms  of  those  whom 
he  loved  peculiarly  and  confidentially? 

In  connection  with  what  has  been  said  in  relation  to 
this  interesting  trait  in  the  Savior,  we  may  remark  here, 
that  nature  teaches  us  (or  rather  the  God  of  nature)  that 
increased  and  special  love,  other  things  being  equal,  may 
properly  flow  in  the  channel  of  the  domestic  aff'ections  ; 
and  also,  that  it  is  entirely  consistent  with  holiness  —  and 
not  only  consistent,  but  a  duty  —  to  exercise  special  love 
towards  those,  whether  we  are  naturally  related  to  them 
or  not,  with  whom  we  are  intimately  connected  in  life, 
and  whose  characters  are  truly  lovely. 

As  Christians,  therefore,  as  those  who  have  experienced, 
or  who  aim  at  experiencing,  the  sanctifying  graces  of  the 
Spirit,  we  may  regard  ourselves  as  permitted,  both  on 
natural  principles  and  in  imitation  of  the  Savior,  to, form 
such  personal  friendships  and  attachments  as  the  provi- 
dence of  God  may  favor  and  his  holiness  approve.  Inti- 
macies and  friendships,  formed  on  purely  worldly  princi- 
ples, have  no  religious  value,  and  are  often  positively  evil. 
It  is  important,  therefore,  to  remember,  that  all  such 
friendships  should  be  entirely  subordinated,  as  they  were 
in  the  case  of  the  Savior,  to  the  will  of  our  heavenly 
Father.  If,  through  the  influence  of  the  life  of  nature, 
they  become  inordinate,  they  are  no  better  thaaany  other 
idols.  It  is  certain  there  is  much  in  them  that  is  amiable 
and  pleasant,  that  they  are  authorized  by  the  example  of 
the  Savior,  and  that  they  seem  to  be  even  necessary  in 
our  present  situation  ;  but,  like  every  thing  else,  they 
must  receive  the  signature  of  the  divine  approbation, 
and  must  be  sustained  or  abandoned  at  the  call  of  reli- 
gious duty. 

(III.)  A  third  remark  is,  that  the  Savior  exhibited  and 
valued  intellectual  culture.  We  do  not  perceive 
that  he  at  any  time  showed  a  disposition  to  separate 
religion  from  rationality.     Even  in  early  youth   he  ex 


244  OF    THE    NEW    LIFE 

hibited  a  strong  desire  of  knowledge.  It  is  related  of 
him,  at  the  early  period  of  twelve  years  of  age,  that  he  was 
found  in  the  temple,  sitting  in  the  midst  of  the  Jewish 
religious  teachers,  "both  hearing  them  and  asking  them 
questions.  And  all  that  heard  him  were  astonished  at 
his  understanding  and  answers."  He  knew  very  well 
that  religion  must  have  a  basis  in  the  perceptions ;  and 
that  its  existence,  without  some  degree  of  knowledge 
and  reflection,  is  a  natural  impossibility.  He  knew,  also, 
that  religion  cannot  be  spread  abroad  from  heart  to  heart, 
so  as  to  take  root  to  any  great  extent,  and  become  efljec- 
tive  in  those  who  are  ignorant  of  it,  except  by  means  of 
the  truth.  And  accordingly,  he  improved  his  early  oppor- 
tunities of  knowing  ;  and  while  he  grew  in  stature  and 
in  favor  with  God  and  with  man,  it  is  stated  also  that  he 
"  grew  strong  in  spirit,"  and  that  "he  increased  in  wis- 
dom." In  particular,  he  seems  to  have  nourished  and 
strengthened  himself  intellectually  by  the  faithful  study 
of  the  divine  lessons  of  the  Old  Testament.  His  repeated 
public  instructions  in  the  synagogues  are  a  proof  of  his 
intimate  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures.  In  all  his  per- 
sonal and  private  intercourse,  also,  even  on  occasions 
which  were  calculated  to  agitate  and  afflict  him,  he  was 
calmly  deliberate,  reflective,  and  argumentative.  In  his 
interviews  with  his  disciples,  in  his  conversations  with 
publicans  and  sinners,  in  his  controversies  with  the  Phar- 
isees and  Sadducees,  and  on  all  similar  occasions,  it  is 
very  evident  that  he  acted,  not  by  passion,  but  by  sober 
judgment ;  not  by  impulses,  but  in  a  truly  reflective  and 
rational  manner  ;  meeting  argument  with  argument  ; 
opposing  scripture  to  scripture,  as  one  who  knew  how 
to  wield  the  "  sword  of  the  Spirit ;  "  and  subverting 
sophistry  with  the  well-considered  and  appropriate  re- 
sponses of  truth. 

It  is  true,  that  his  illustrations  and  manner  varied  with 
the  circumstances  and  the  occasion,  and  that  he  was  at 
certain  times  more  animated,  pointed,  and  severe,  than  at 
others  ;  but  he  never  did  or  said  any  thing  which  was 
at  variance  with  sound  judgment.     I  have  sometimes 


IN    THE    IMAGE    CE    CHRIST.  245 

liiought,  that  persons  of  flighty  conceptions  and  vigorous 
enthusiasm  would  regard  the  Savior,  if  he  were  now  on 
the  earth,  as  too  cahn  and  gentle,  as  too  thoughtful  and 

.intellectual,  as  too  free  from  impulsive  and  excited  agi- 
tations, to  be  reckoned  with  those  who  are  often  con- 
sidered the  most  advanced  in  religion.  He  never  per- 
formed the  feat  of  Simeon  Stylites,  who,  from  mistaken 
religious  motives,  spent  years  on  the  top  of  a  pillar  of 
stone ;  nor  was  he  violently  whirled  round  like  a  top,  as 
is  related  of  some  persons  who  have  been  the  subjects 
of  religious  excitement ;  nor  did  he  experience  the  other 
bodily  and  convulsive  agitations,  which  in  some  instances 
have  characterized  the  religious  movements  of  modern 
times,  and  have  sometimes  been  mistaken  for  religion 
itself.    In  violation  of  the  proud  anticipations  of  the  Jews, 

,  and  in  conformity  with  what  might  be  expected  from  a 
Being  endued  with  the  highest  rationality,  he  appeared 
as  a  plain,  unobtrusive,  and  reflective  man  ;  coming 
and  acting  like  the  "kingdom  of  God"  itself,  essentially 
"  without  obsei'vation  ;  "  and  attracting  notice,  so  far  as 
he  did  so,  by  pure  and  sober  piety  only,  by  the  beauty 
of  virtue  sustained  and  characterized  by  the  strength  of 
deliberation  and  wisdom,  and  not  by  being  the  subject 
or  the  agent  of  eccentricities. 

In  making  these  remarks,  we  do  not  mean  to  imply 
that  the  Savior  was  without  feeling.  His  sympathy 
with  the  sick  and  the  poor,  his  personal  attachments, 
his  earnest  desire  for  the  salvation  of  sinners,  his  denun- 
ciations of  hardened  transgressors,  all  show  that  he  was 
susceptible  of  deep  feeling.  But  what  we  mean  to  say 
is,  that  he  did  not  undervalue  knowledge  and  truth; 
but,  on  the  contrary,  he  estimated  them  highly,  and, 
under  the  teachings  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  made  them,  as  it 
were,  the  basis  of  the  iitVvard  life.  And  I  think  we  may 
properly  add  here,  as  in  accordance  with  what  has  been 
said,  that  no  feeling,  that  no  contrition  or  sorrow,  and  no 
other  form  of  feeling  whatever,  does  or  can  possess  any 
religious  value  in  the  sight  of  God,  except  so  far  as  it  has 
its  origin  in  perception  and  knowledge. 
21* 


246  OF    THE    NEW    LIFE 

(IV.)    Passing  now   from  what  may  be  deem,ed  his 
natural   to  his  purely  religious  traits,  we  remark,  in  the 
fourth  place,  that  the  life  of  the  Savior  was  characterized 
by  the  spirit  of  entire  consecration.     The  idea  of  con- 
secration seems  to  be  much  the  same  with  that  of  self- 
renunciation  ;  with  this  difference  only,  that  he  who  is 
the    subject    of  consecration    has    not    only  renounced 
himself,  but  has  done  it  in  favor  of  some  other  object,  or 
some  other  being.     Accordingly,  he  who,  in  renouncing 
himself,  has  renounced  all  his  own  private  desires,  pur- 
poses, and  aims,  and  has  surrendered  his  will,  which,  in 
some  sense,  constitutes  himself,  into  the  keeping  of  the 
divine  will,  is  emphatically  a  person  consecrated  to  the 
divine  will  ;  or,  what  is  the  same  thing,  he  is  a  person 
consecrated  to  God.     Now,  it  is  very  evident  that  the 
Savior,  considered  in  his  humanity,  and  as  a  messenger 
of  God  here  in  the  world,  had  no  will  of  his  own.     If 
he  cannot  be  said,  properly  speaking,  to  have  renounced 
his  will,  it  is  because  he  never  possessed  a  will    which 
operated  at  variance  with  the  infinite  and  divine  vvill. 
It  was  not  on  his  own  account  that  he  came  into  the 
world.      "  Wist  ye  not,"  he  says  on  a  certain  occasion, 
''that  I  mwst  be  about  my    Father'' s  business?"     "I 
came  down  from  heaven,"  he  says  in  another  place,  "not 
to  do  mine  own  will,  but  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me." 
John  vi.  38.     And  again  he  says,   "My  meat  is  to  do 
the  will  of  him  that  sent  me,  and  to  finish  his  work." 
John  iv.  34.     There  are  many  other  passages  of  a  sim- 
ilar import.     And  the  whole  history  of  his  life,  which  is 
unstained  by  any  selfish  and  personal  purpose,  consti- 
tutes a  co;ifirmation  of  them.     He  could  say,  "  I  and  my 
Father  are  one,"  because  his  whole  soul  lay,  as  it  were, 
upon  the  divine  altar  ;  set  apart  both  to  do  and  to  suffer 
his  Father's  will ;  "  brought  as  a  -lamb  to  the  slaughter  ;  " 
"  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world  ;  "  "  offered  up  to 
bear  the  sins  of  many."' 

It  is  the  same  spirit  of  devout  and  entire  consecration 
which  is  the  abiding,  and,  in  its  results,  the  victorious 
element  of  the  religious  life  in  all  his  followers.     And 


IN    THE    IMAGE    OF    CHRIST.         '  -  247 

it  IS  so,  because,  by  the  alienation  of  self,  it  puts  them 
in  a  situation  where  they  can  take  hold  of  the  divine 
power  by  faith.  Those  who  have  made  such  consecra- 
tion feel  that  they  have  no  longer  any  thing  whicli 
they  can  call  their  own.  In  every  thing  which  concerns 
their  personal  desires  and  interests,  in  every  thing 
which  is  at  variance  wi.th  the  divine  purposes,  they  are 
nailed  to  the  cross.  And  hence,  in  the  want  of  all 
things  in  themselves,  they  have  the  possession  of  all 
things  in  God. 

(V.)  Again,  the  Savior,  considered  as  a  man,  lived 
by  SIMPLE  FAITH.  A  life  of  faith  is  almost  necessarily 
implied  in  a  state  of  entire  self-rcLiunciation.  It  does 
not  easily  appear  how  a  person  wiio,  in  the  spirit  of 
self-renunciation,  has  placed  himself  in  the  hands  and 
under  the  direction  of  another,  can  live  spiritually  in 
any  other  way  than  by  means  of  faith.  There  is  noth- 
ing left  him  but  simple  trust.  To  renounce  ourselves 
entirely,  and  not  to  repose  trust  in  another,  would  soon 
be  followed  by  a  state  of  despair.  So  that  we  may  re- 
gard it  as  the  natural  order  of  religious  sequence,  that 
the  principle  of  faith,  which  is  life  in  another,  should 
take  the  place  of  the  extinct  principle  of  life  in  our- 
selves. The  memorable  statement,  therefore,  that  "the 
just  shall  live  by  faith,"  was  as  applicable  to  the  Savior 
as  to  any  other  holy  being.  The  whole  history  of  the 
intercourse  which  took  place,  in  his  state  of  humiliation, 
between  him  and  his  Father,  is  a  confirmation  of  this 
position,  and  declares  emphatically  that  he  never 
DOUBTED.  "  Man  shall  not  live  by  bread  alone,"  he  said 
to  the  tempter,  "  hut  by  every  word  that  proceedeth  out 
of  the  mouth  of  God"  He  said  to  the  Jews,  on  a  cer- 
tain occasion,  "I  am  not  come  of  myself,  but  he  that 
sent  me  is  true."  This  single  expression  carries  with 
it  important  meaning.  It  was  the  truth  of  God,  his  firm 
and  unchanging  faithfulness,  upon  which  his  soul  rested, 
as  upon  an  everlasting  rock.  He  assures  us,  that  "  with- 
out his  Father  he  could  do  nothing  "  —  a  declaration 
which  seems  necessarily  to  imply  the  existence  of  unwa- 


248  OF    THE    NEW    LIFE 

vering  confidence  in  the  Being  who  was  the  present  and 
the  only  source  of  his  power.  There  can  be  no  doubt, 
therefore,  that  the  direction  which  he  gave  to  his  disci- 
ples he  was  willing  to  apply,  in  its  full  import,  to  himself: 
"  Have  faith  in  God."  In  his  prayer  at  the  grave  of 
Lazarus,  he  said,  "  Father,  1  thank  thee,  that  thou  hast 
heard  me.  And  I  knew,  [that  is  to  say,  had  entire  con- 
fidence, unwavering  faith,]  that  thou  hearestme  always." 
Faith  sustained  him  in  trial  as  well  as  in  duty  ;  in  the 
depths  of  affliction  as  well  as  in  the  active  labors  of  his 
ministry.  Even  in  the  agonies  of  the  cross,  when  every 
possible  sorrow  was  inflicted,  and  every  other  consolation 
was  taken  away,  he  was  supported  by  its  mighty  power 
alone. 

And  in  connection  with  this  view,  we  are  not  to  be 
surprised  that  we  find  the  Savior  so  often  and  so  earn- 
estly urging  upon  his  followers  the  necessity  of  living 
in  the  same  manner.  He  taught  them,  in  various  ways 
and  at  various  times,  that  faith  was  the  source  of  their 
inward  life  and  power,  and  that  by  it  they  could  over- 
come all  difficulties,  "  removing  even  mountains."  Dis- 
countenancing every  other  mode  of  living,  he  decidedly 
rebuked  the  disposition,  originating  in  unbelief,  to  seek 
a  sign,  (that  is  to  say,  a  striking  and  confirmatory  man- 
ifestation of  some  kind,)  in  addition  to  and  in  support 
of  the  simple  declaration  of  God.  "  An  evil  and  adul- 
terous generation,"  he  says,  "  seeketh  after  a  sign." 

(VI.)  We  proceed  to  observe,  in  the  sixth  place,  that 
the  Savior  was  a  man  of  prayer.  We  have  already 
had  occasion  to  notice  his  declaration,  that  "  without 
his  Father  he  could  do  nothing."  And  as  if  in  practi- 
cal recognition  and  manifestation  of  his  entire  personal 
dependence,  we  find  him  often  kneeling  in  supplication, 
and  drawing  divine  strength  from  the  Everlasting  Foun- 
tain. As  God,  he  had  all  power.  As  man,  (the  aspect 
in  which  we  are  now  contemplating  him,)  he  had  no 
power  which  he  did  not  receive  from  his  heavenly 
Father  ;  and  if  there  was  ever  any  instance  of  "  living 
by  the  moment,"  (which  seems  to  us  the  true  way  of 


IN    THE    IMAGE    OF    CHRIST.  249 

Christian  living,  and  which  obviously  implies  prayiyig 
by  the  moment,)  we  find  it  undoubtedly  in  the  life 
of  Jesus  Christ.  He  may  be  said,  therefore,  with  a 
great  deal  of  truth,  to  have  been  praying  all  the  time. 
Certainly,  he  was  always  m  the  spirit  of  prayer;  but, 
besides  this  spirit  of  continual  intercourse  with  God, 
which  was  as  ^natural  to  him  as  the  breath  which  he 
breathed,  he  had  especial  seasons  of  supplication,  when 
he  went  apart  from  men,  and  poured  forth  his  soul  in 
private. 

"  Cold  mountains,  and  the  midnight  air, 
Witnessed  the  fervor  of  his  prayer." 

If  even  the  Savior  could  do  nothing  without  his 
Father,  — if  prayer  was  as  necessary  to  his  spiritual  sup- 
port as  the  very  air  he  breathed  was  to  the  support  of 
his  body,  —  let  no  one  suppose  that  he  can  sustain  the 
grace  of  a  truly  regenerated  and  sanctified  heart,  with- 
out possessing  a  like  prayerful  spirit, 

(VII.)  Our  next  remark  is  this:  The  Savior  was 
conscientious  and  strictly  faithful  in  whatever  his  Father 
committed  into  his  hands  to  do.  He  lived  for  others  ; 
and  in  living  for  others,  he  made  no  secret  reservation 
that  he  would  in  some  things  consult  his  own  interest. 
In  the  language  of  Scripture,  "He  pleased  not  him- 
self." In  the  various  companies  in  which  he  rningled, 
he  never  forgot  the  great  mission  on  which  he  came. 
He  was  a  man  of  labor  as  well  as  of  faith  ;  and  showed, 
in  his  whole  life,  that  action  is  the  result  of  believing. 
It  has  been  remarked  of  him,  that  if  he  had  not  had 
something  to  say  to  Simon,  he  probably  would  not  have 
been  found  seated  at  Simon's  table;  and  that  "there 
is  not  an  instance  of  his  having  sat  at  meat  with  sinners, 
without  reproving  their  iniquities  ;  or  sharing  the  hospi- 
tality of  unbelievers,  without  forcing  them  to  listen  to 
his  words."  He  felt  it  his  duty  to  leave  nothing 
undone  which  ought  to  be  done.  And  he  did  it  delib- 
erately, thoroughly,  unremittingly.  His  whole  being, 
in  all  its  innate  power  and  all  its  outward  efforts,  was 
devoted  to  the  one  great  work  of  doing  his  Father's  will 


250  OF    THE    NEW    LIFE 

No  personal  inconvenience,  no  opposition  and  threats  ol 
men,  no  pressure  of  personal  and  temporary  interest,  nor 
any  other  obstacles,  of  whatever  nature,  had  the  effect 
to  deter  him  from  doing  his  duty,  and  his  whole  duty, 
to  God  and  to  men.  "  I  find  it  impossible,"  says  David 
Brainerd,  "  to  enjoy  peace  and  tranquillity  of  mind, 
without  a  careful  improvement  of  time.  This  is  really 
an  imitation  of  God  and  Christ  Jesus.  '  My  Father 
worketh  hitherto,  and  I  work,'  says  our  Lord.  If  we 
would  be  like  God,  we  must  see  that  we  fill  up  our 
time  for  him." 

(VIII.)  We  observe,  in  the  eighth  place,  although  the 
Savior  was  faithful  and  diligent  in  the  work  committed 
to  his  hands,  he  was  not  prematurely  zealous  and  obtru- 
sive. He  realized  that  every  thing,  when  done  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  will  of  his  heavenly  Father,  (a  will 
which  can  never  be  at  variance  with  the  highest  ration- 
ality,) must  necessarily  have  its  right  time  and  place. 
In  repeated  instances,  when  something  was  proposed  to 
him  to  be  done,  he  declined  acting  in  the  case,  on  the 
ground  that  the  proper  occasion  of  action  had  not  yet 
arrived.  "His  hour  had  not  yet  come."  He  felt  that 
he  must  act  in  accordance  with  the  will  of  his  heavenly 
Father,  not  only  in  the  thing  to  be  done,  but  also  in 
the  TIME  and  manner  of  doing  it.  Although,  considered 
as  a  mere  man,  he  possessed  powers  of  judgment  vastly 
greater  than  fall  to  the  lot  of  ordinary  men,  and  enjoyed 
also  the  presence  and  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit  "  with- 
out measure,"  he  nevertheless  felt  it  to  be  consistent 
with  the  highest  duty  to  nourish  his  powers  and  virtues 
in  retirement,  and  not  to  bear  his  message,  important 
and  urgent  as  it  was,  prematurely  to  the  world. 

"  Of  the  three-and-thirty  years,"  says  a  certain  writer, 
"  which  oui-  blessed  Redeemer  spent  on  earth,  thirty 
were  spent  in  the  obscufity  and  abjection  of  a  private 
and  humble  condition.  Notwithstanding  the  zeal  for 
the  glory  of  his  Father,  and  the  salvation  of  men,  which 
consumed  his  soul ;  notwithstanding  the  tide  of  disor- 
der which  overran  the  world,  ani  the  abomination  of  sin 


IN    THE    IMAGE    OF    CHRIST.  251 

and  scandal  which  pierced  his  heart,  the  eternal  nicar- 
nate  Wisdom  was  silent,  was  hidden,  and  so  remained 
until  the  hour  appointed  by  his  Father  had  come ;  re- 
pulsing, even  with  apparent  severity,  the  prayer  of  his 
mother  according  to  the  flesh,  because  it  seemed  to  urge 
his  anticipating  that  hour."  * 

This  trait  in  the  Savior's  character  is,  in  a  practical 
view,  very  important.  It  is  probably  through  a  disre- 
gard, in  part  at  least,  ot'  the  course  taken  by  the  Sa- 
vior, which  has  now  been  mentioned,  that  we  find,  in 
all  denominations  of  Christians,  melancholy  instances 
of  persons,  who  are  young  in  the  Christian  life,  or  who 
are  prompted  by  an  undue  confidence,  exhibiting  a  dis- 
position to  enter  prematurely,  and  sometimes  violently, 
upon  measures  which  are  at  variance  with  the  results 
of  former  experience,  and  with  the  admonitions  of  an- 
cient piety.  All  mistakes  and  erroneous  proceedings  of 
this  kind  are  discountenanced  by  the  example  of  our 
Savior,  who  quietly  remained  in  solitude  and  silence, 
and  was  refreshed  and  strengthened  with  the  interior 
dews  of  heavenly  knowledge,  till  the  great  hour  ar- 
rived, appointed  in  the  wisdom  of  his  heavenly  Father, 
which  called  him  forth  to  the  ministry  and  the  cross. 

(IX.)  In  another  particular,  also,  is  the  Savior's  char- 
acter deserving  of  our  notice.  He  exhibited,  in  his 
daily  deportment,  a  very  meek,  humble,  and  quiet  dis- 
position of  mind.  Every  attentive  reader  of  the  Gos- 
pels will  recollect  that  this  interesting  and  beautiful 
trait  shows  itself,  in  his  personal  history,  in  a  very  re- 
markable manner.  He  said  of  himself,  "  I  am  meek 
and  lowly  of  heart."  In  the  language  of  the  apostle 
Peter,  "When  he  was  reviled,  he  reviled  not  again; 
when  he  suffered,  he  threatened  not ;  but  committed 
himself  to  him  who  judgeth  righteously."  It  was  said 
of  him  prophetically,  and  before  his  advent  into  the 
world,  "  He  was  oppressed  and  afflicted  ;  yet  he  opened 
i}ot  his  mouth."  Isa.  liii.  7.  And  again,  in  the  same 
prophet,  "  He  shall  not  cry,  nor  lift  up.  nor  cause  his 

*    [nlerior  Peace  of  Pere  I^ombez,  p    120.  ^ 


252  OF    THE    NEW    LIFE 

voice  to  be  heard  in  the  streets."  Isa.  xhi.  3.  At  a  cer- 
tain time,  when  there  was  a  disposition  among  some  of 
his  disciples  to  put  fortii  personal  pretensions,  and  to 
claim  the  preeminence  over  others,  he  remarked  to  them, 
"  Whosoever  will  be  great  among  you,  let  him  be  youi 
servant ;  even  as  the  Son  of  man  came,  not  to  be  min- 
istered unto,  but  to  minister,  and  to  give  his  life  a  ran- 
som for  many."  Matt.  xx.  28.  But  it  is  hardly  neces- 
sary to  make  particular  references,  when  his  whole  life, 
in  all  the  varieties  of  its  situation,  was  a  beautiful  illus- 
tration of  this  divine  trait.  He  had  compassion  upon 
the  ignorant  ;  he  made  his  dwelling  with  the  poor  ;  he 
travelled  on  foot  from  place  to  place  in  weariness  and 
sorrow  ;  he  sat  at  meat  with  publicans  and  sinners  ;  he 
washed  the  feet  of  his  disciples.  In  the  possession  of 
the  inestimable  trait  of  meekness  and  quietness  of  spirit, 
let  all,  who  seek  the  highest  degree  of  purification  and 
sanctification  of  heart,  be  imitators  of  the  example  of 
Jesus  Christ ;  who,  in  the  language  of  the  apostle  Paul, 
"  made  himself  of  no  reputation,  and  took  upon  him  the 
form  of  a  servant."  Philip,  ii.  7.  Whatever  pretensions 
any  of  us  might  justly  put  forth  as  natural  men  or  as 
men  of  the  world,  or,  in  other  words,  whatever  we 
might  justly  claim  from  the  world  on  the  world's  prin- 
ciples, we  should,  nevertheless,  be  willing,  in  imitation 
of  the  blessed  Savior's  example,  to  be  made  of  no  rep- 
utation, and  to  become  the  servants  of  our  brethren. 

(X.)  Another  interesting  trait  in  the  history  and  char- 
acter of  the  Savior  is,  that  his  inward  life  was  constant- 
ly inspired  and  directed  by  the  presence  and  operations 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  From  the  iDeginning  to  the  end  of 
his  earthly  course,  in  all  the  various  circumstances  in 
which  he  was  placed,  he  was  the  subject  of  the  special 
influences  of  divine  grace.  With  a  consciousness  that 
all  things  were  in  his  power,  and  with  a  prompt  and 
consecrated  readiness  to  act  and  to  suffer  continually,  he 
felt,  at  the  same  time,  entirely  dependent ;  and  it  never 
occurred  to  him  that  he  had  any  thing,  or  that  he  could 
do  any  thing,  out  of  God.     From  God,  operating  by  his 


IN    THE    IMAGE    OF    CHRIST.  253 

Holy  Spirit  in  his  heart,  he  received  ali  wisdom,  all 
strength.  "  Behold  my  servant,  whom  I  uphold  ;  mine 
elect,  in  whom  my  sonl  delighteth.  /  have  put  my 
Spirit  upon  him.^^  Isa.  xlii.  1.  In  accordance  with  this 
prophetic  annunciation,  John  the  Baptist  is  said  to  have 
seen  the  "  Spirit  of  God  descending  ^^ke  a  dove,  and 
lighting  upon  him."  In  the  interesting  events  which 
occurred  immediately  after  his  baptism,  it  is  not  said  of 
him,  that  he  went  up  into  the  wilderness  of  his  own 
accord  and  of  his  own  will,  but  that  he  was  "  full  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  was  led  by  the  Spirit."  On  one 
occasion,  when  he  went  into  the  synagogue  of  Nazareth 
on  the  Sabbath  day,  he  opened  the  Scriptures,  and  read 
where  it  is  written,  "  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon 
me^  because  he  hath  anointed  me  to  preach  the  gospel 
to  the  poor."  "He  whom  God  hath  sent,"  says  the 
Savior,  referring  to  himself,  "  speaketh  the  words  of 
God ;  for  God  giveth  not  the  Spirit  hy  measure  unto 
Jiim." 

We  need  not  multiply  testimonies  to  this  effect.  We 
every  where  find  evidence  that  the  life  of  the  Savior, 
in  the  spiritual  sense  of  the  terms,  was  derived  from  the 
life  of  God.  The  branch  does  not  more  surely  derive 
its  existence  and  support  from  the  vine,  than  the  Savior 
derived  his  inward  existence  from  God.  Nor  is  the 
branch  more  closely  united  to  the  vine,  than  he  was 
united  to  his  heavenly  Father.  "I  and  ray  Father," 
he  says,  "are  one." 

It  will  be  noticed  that,  in  designating  some  of  the 
traits  of  the  Savior's  character,  we  have  not  paid  much 
attention  to  order  of  arrangement.  Perhaps  it  was  not 
necessary  that  we  should.  Nor  do  we  profess  to  have, 
exhausted  the  subject,  and  to  have  mentioned  every 
possible  trait  of  excellency  which  his  character  presents. 
Hoping,  however,  that  enough  has  been  said  to  secure 
the  favorable  and  prayerful  interest  of  the  reader,  we 
leave  it,  important  and  attractive  as  it  is,  with  a  single 
remark  further,  viz.,  that  the  life  of  the  Sa\!ior,  wheth- 
er considered  inwardly  or  outwardly,  was  characterized 
22 


254  OF    THE    NEW    LIFE 

by  a  proportj^nate  fitness  or  symmetry  in  all  its  parts. 
It  cannot  be  said  of  the  Savior,  as  he  existed  in  his 
humanity,  that  he  was  a  mere  combination  of  peculiari- 
ties ;  a  man  wonderful,  not  by  the  excellences,  but  by 
the  eccentricities,  of  his  nature  :  exciting  attention 
merely  by  his  stj;ange  unlikeness  to  every  thing  which 
could  properly  be  expected  in  a  man.  On  the  contrary, 
every  thing  was  perfect  and  appropriate  in  its  position, 
as  well  as  perfect  in  its  own  nature.  All  the  remarka- 
ble qualities  which,  as  separate  elements,  contributed 
to  the  constitution  of  his  perfect  character,  were  blended 
together  in  beautiful  harmony.  He  stands  before  us 
complete  in  the  adaptation  of  the  parts  of  his  character, 
as  well  as  complete  in  the  parts  themselves ;  complete, 
therefore,  as  a  whole  and  generically,  as  well  as  com- 
plete separately  and  specifically.  As  nothing  can  be 
added  to  the  amount  of  his  excellences,  so  it  does  not 
appear  that  any  thing  can  be  improved  in  their  relative 
adjustment,  in  their  beautiful  and  perfect  proportion. 
This  is  the  man  Christ  Jesus,  who  is  set  before  us  as 
an  example  ;  who  "  was  tempted  in  all  points  as  we  are, 
and  yet  without  sin." 

(1.)  In  view  of  what  has  been  said,  a  few  remarks 
may  properly  be  made.  And  the  first  is,  that  the  life 
of  Christ,  or  rather  the  religious  life  as  manifested  in 
Christ,  is  entirely  different  in  its  character  from  the  life 
of  nature.  In  the  life  of  nature,  which  is  unprotected 
and  unrestrained  by  the  conservative  principle  of  supreme 
love  to  God,  every  thing  runs  to  excess.  That  which 
is  good  in  itself  becomes  vitiated  in  its  inordinate  ac- 
tion. Sympathy  assumes  the  shape  of  querulous  weak- 
ness. Friendships  are  stimulated  by  a  secret  selfish 
influence,  till  they  become  idolatry.  The  love  of  knowl- 
edge distorts  itself  into  obstinacy  of  opinion  and  pride 
of  intellect.  An  allowable  and  holy  displeasure  degeU' 
erates  into  the  violence  of  natural  anger  and  revenge 
Even  a  desire  to  do  good  is  often  perverted,  through  a 
selfish  impetuosity,  by  an  injurious  and  fatal  disregard 
to  the  proprieties  of  time,  person,  and  place. 


IN    THE    IMAGE    OF    CHRIST. 


In  thoso  who  are  but  partially  sanctified,  as  well  as  in 
hose  who  are  wholly  dead  in  their  sins,  the  natural  life, 
n  itself  considered,  and  just  so  far  as  it  has  an  existence 
at  all,  is  always  weak,  selfish,  inconsistent,  passionate 
changeable. 

The  life  of  Christ  in  the  soul,  or,  what  is  the  same 
thing,  the-life  of  the  soul  modelled  after  the  image  of 
Christ,  is  entirely  different.  Its  sympathy  is  restrained 
and  regulated  by  the  suggestions  of  reason.  Its  per- 
onal  friendships  are  rendered  pure  by  the  exclusion  ot 
nil  idolatrous  regard.  Its  love  is  unstained  by  selfish- 
ness, and  its  indiguation  is  hallowed  by  love.  In  the 
natural  life,  every  thing  is  vitiated  either  by  excess  or 
defect.  In  the  life  of  Christ,  every  thing  is  correspond- 
ent to  the  truth  of  reason  and  the  commandment  of 
God. 

(2.)   In  particular,  the  life  of  Christ  in  the  soul  is  dis- 
tmguished  from  the  natural  life,  in  being  characterized 
by  great  siMPHciTy.     It  is  a  common  idea,  that  those 
who  have  been  the  subjects  of  the  interior  transforma- 
ion  have  experienced  something  which  is  very  remark- 
able.    And  undoubtedly  it  is  so.     There  is  truth  in  the 
dea,  but  probably  not  in  the  sense  in  which  the  world 
mderstand  the  term.     The  coming  of  Christ  in  the  soul 
remarkable,  in  the  same  sense  in  which  the  manner 
if  Christ's  entrance  into  the  world  was  remarkable.     It 
vas  certainly  remarkable  that  the  Son  of  God,  the  "ex- 
tress  image  of  the  Father,"  should  become  the  "  bal)e 
)f  Bethlehem,"  the  child  of  the  humble  Mary.     And 
hus  th(5  new  spiritual  life,  when  it  exists  in  truth,  is  not 
he  offspring  of  earthly  royalty,  that  is  heralded  by  the 
nuzzas  of  the  multitude,  but  rather  the  "  infant  in  the 
manger,"  that  is  born  in  obscurity,  and  is  known  and 
honored  only  by  the  lowly  in  heart.     It  is  a  life  so  far 
from  any  thing  that  is  calculated  to  attract  attention  in 
the  worldly  sense,  that  it  is  known  and  characterized  in 
no  one  particular  more  than  by  what  we  have  denomi- 
nated its  simplicity;  by  its  being,  in  the  language  of  the 


256  OF    THE    NEW    LIFE  > 

Savior,  like  a  "  little  child  ;  "  by  its  freedom  from  osten- 
tation and  noisy  pretension  ;  by  its  inward  nothingness. 

(3.)  Another  and  the  only  remaining  remark  is  this: 
It  is  evident  that  the  life  of  Christ,  when  examined  in 
its  elements,  was  sustained  on  the  two  great  principles 
which  have  been  so  often  mentioned,  viz.,  of  entire  con- 
secration  and  of  perfect  faith.  It  is  very  true,  that  these 
two  principles,  as  we  have  already  seen,  did  not  consti- 
tute the  whole  of  his  inward  life  ;  but  it  cannot  be 
doubted  that  they  formed  the  essential  basis  of  it. 
They  were  its  fundamental  elements  —  the  strong  pil- 
lars on  which  it  rested.  In  other  words,  the  Savior,  in 
the  true  spirit  of  consecration,  appeared  in  the  world, 
not  for  himself  and  his  own  pleasure,  but  for  the  sim- 
ple purpose  of  doing  and  suffering  the  will  of  his  heav- 
enly Father.  And,  in  the  fulfilment  of  this  object,  he 
lived,  as  all  his  followers  ought  to  live,  by  the  sublime 
principle  of  faith,  and  not  by  the  inferior  guidance  of 
open  vision  ;  so  that  his  life,  to  express  its  great  outlines 
in  a  single  word,  was  a  life  united  to  God  by  its  disrup- 
tion from  every  thing  else  ;  or,  in  still  other  expressions, 
it  was  a  life  so  united  to  God,  that  it  saw,  knew,  and 
loved,  every  thing  else,  including  himself,  in  its  relation 
to  the  Divhie  Mind  —  in  and  for  God,  and  God  alone. 
Happy  are  they,  the  features  of  whose  inward  existence 
are  framed  and  fashioned  upon  this  divine  model ! 

We  do  not  doubt  that  the  inward  religious  experience, 
in  different  individuals,  may  receive  some  modification, 
more  or  less,  from  the  natural  character.  It  will  appear 
differently  in  John  the  Baptist  and  John  the  Disciple; 
it  will  appear  differently  in  Stephen,  in  Peter,  in  Paul. 
But  the  difference  will  exist  in  the  modifications,  and 
not  in  the  essence,  of  the  thing ;  in  that  which  is  out- 
ward and  incidental,  rather  than  in  that  which  is  inter- 
nal and  substantial.  But,  in  all  cases  of  true  holiness, 
without  exception,  there  must  be,  and  there  is,  the  im- 
age of  Christ  at  the  bottom.  In  all  cases  in  which  the 
work  of  God  is   larried  to  its  completion,  the  soul  has 


%  IN    THE     IMAGE    OF    CHRIST.  257 

become  an  "  infant  Jesus  ; ''  and,  like  its  protot^^pe,  the 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  and  the  cross,  it  will  grow  in  "  wis- 
dom, and  in  stature,  and  in  favor  with  God  and  with 
man." 

Such  Christians  and  such  Christianity  will  have  an 
eiTect  upon  the  world.  Those  who  are  formed  upon 
this  divine  model  not  only  have  a  noble  lineage,  but 
they  bear  in  themselves  the  impress  and  the  inscription 
of  a  true  nobility.  They  are  the  tree,  mentioned  by 
the  Psalmist,  which  is  ''planted  by  the  rivers  of  water;  " 
not  stinted  and  dwarfish,  as  too  many  are  who  bear  the 
name  of  Christ ;  not  smitten  with  rust  and  eaten  with 
the  worm,  —  but  sound  alike  in  the  body,  the  bloss6m, 
and  the  fruit ;  not  crooked,  knotted,  and  unsymmetrical, 
but  free,  expansive,  and  proportional.  Wherever  they 
go,  the  world  recognizes  their  character  without  the 
requisite  of  a  formal  proclamation.  The  image  of 
Jesus,  the  divinity  of  the  heart,  is  so  written  upon  the 
whole  outward  life,  that  they  are  an  "epistle,  known 
and  read  of  all  men." 
22* 


258 


CHAPTER    FOURTEENTH. 


ON   THE   TRUE   IDEA   OF   SPIRITUAL   LIBERTY. 


It  has  probably  come  within  the  observation  of  many 
persons,  that  there  is  a  form  or  modification  of  religious 
experience,  which  is  denominated  "Liberty."  Hence, 
in  common  reb'gious  parlance,  it  is  not  unfrequently  the 
case  that  we  hear  of  persons  being  "  in  the  liberty,"  or 
in  the  "  true  liberty."  These  expressions  undoul3tedly 
indicate  an  important  religious  truth,  which  has  not  al- 
together escaped  the  notice  of  writers  on  the  religious 
life.  The  account  which  is  given  by  Francis  de  Sales 
of  "  liberty  of  spirit "  is,  that  "  it  consists  in  keeping 
the  heart  totally  disengaged  from  every  created  thing, 
in  order  that  it  may  follow  the  known  will  of  God^ 

To  this  statement  of  De  Sales,  considered  as  a  gen- 
eral and  somewhat  indefinite  statement,  we  do  not  find 
it  necessary  to  object.  Certain  it  is,  that  he  who  is  in 
the  "true  liberty"  is  "disengaged,"  and  has  escaped, 
from  the  enslaving  influence  of  the  world.  God  has 
become  to  him  an  inward,  operative  principle,  without 
whom  he  feels  he  can  do  nothing,  and  in  connection 
with  whose  blessed  assistance  he  has  an  inward  con- 
'Xiousness  that  the  world  and  its  lusts  have  lost  their 
inthralling  power.  Liberty  —  considered  in  this  gen- 
eral sense  of  the  term  —  is  to  be  regarded  as  expressive 
of  one  of  the  highest  and  most  excellent  forms  of 
Christian  experience.  And  we  may  add,  further,  that 
none  truly  enjoy  it  in  this  high  sense  but  those  who 
are  in  a  state  of  mind,  which  may  with  propriety  be 
denominated  a  holy  or  sanctified  state  ;  none  but  those 
•vhom  G.od  has  made  "free  indeed."     We  proceed  now 


TRUE    IDEA    OF     SPIRITUAL    LIBERTY.  259 

to  mention  some  of  the  marks  by  which  the  condition 
or  state  of  true  spiritual  liberty  is  characterized.  Nor 
does  there  seem  to  be  much  difficulty  in  doing  this, 
because  liberty  is  the  opposite  of  inthralment ;  and  be- 
cause it  is  easy,  as  a  general  thing,  to  understand  and 
to  specify  the  things  by  which  we  are  most  apt  to  be 
inthralled. 

(1.)  The  person  who  is  in  the  enjoyment  of  true 
spu'itual  liberty 'is  no  longer  inthralled  to  the  lower 
or  appetitive  part  of  his  nature.  Whether  he  eats  or 
drinks,  or  whatever  other  appetite  may  claim  its  appro- 
priate exercise,  he  can  say  in  truth  that  he  does  all  to 
the  glory  of  God.  It  is  to  be  lamented  —  but  is,  nev- 
ertheless,  true — that  there  are  many  persons,  of  a 
reputable  Christian  standing,  who  are  subject,  in  a 
greater  or  less  degree,  to  a  very  injurious  tyranny  from 
this  source.  But  this  is  not  the  case  with  those  who 
are  in  the  possession  of  inward  liberty.  Their  souls 
have  entered  into  the  pleasures  of  divine  rest ;  and 
they  can  truly  say  they  are  dead  to  all  appetites,  except 
so  far  as  they  operate  to  fulfil  the  original  and  wise 
intentions  of   the   Being  who   iin,jkinied   them. 

(2.)  The  person  who  is  in  the  enjoyment  of  true 
spiritual  liberty  is  no  longer  inthralled  by  certain  de- 
sires of  a  higher  character  than  the  appetites  —  such  as 
the  desire  of  society,  the  desire  of  knowledge,  the 
desire  of  the  world's  esteem,  and  the  like.  These 
principles,  which,  in  order  to  distinguish  them  from  the 
appetites,  may  conveniently  be  designated  as  the  pro- 
pensities, or  propensive  principles,  operate  in  the  man 
of  true  inward  liberty  as  they  were  designed  to  operate, 
but  never  with  the  power  to  enslave.  He  desires,  for 
instance,  to  go  into  society,  and,  in  compliance  with 
the  suggestions  of  the  social  principle,  to  spend  a  por- 
tion of  time  in  social  intercourse  ;  but  he  finds  it  en- 
tirely easy,  although  the  desire,  in  itself  considered, 
may  be  somewhat  marked  and  strong,  to  keep  it  in 
strict  subordination  to  his  great  purpose  of  doing  every 
thing  for  the   glory  of   God.     Or,  perhaps,   under  thf* 


260  ON    THE    TRUE    IDEA 

influence  of  another  propensive  tendency,  —  tliat  ot 
the  principle  of  curiosity,  —  he  desires  to  read  a  book 
of  much  interest,  which  some  individual  has  placed 
before  him  ;  but  he  J&nds  it  entirely  within  his  power,  as 
in  the  other  case,  to  check  his  desire,  and  to  keep  it  in 
its  proper  place.  In  neither  of  these  instances,  nor  in 
others  like  them,  is  he  borne  down,  as  we  often  per- 
ceive to  be  the  case,  by  an  almost  uncontrollable  tend- 
ency of  mind.  The  desire,  as  soon  as  it  begins  to 
exist,  is  at  once  brought  to  the  true  test.  The  ques- 
tion at  once  arises.  Is  the  desire  of  spending  my  time  in 
this  way  conformable  to  the  will  of  God  ?  And  if  it  is 
found,  or  suspected,  to  be  at  variance  with  the  divine 
will,  it  is  dismissed  at  once.  The  mind  is  conscious  of 
an  inward  strength,  which  enables  it  to  set  at  defiance 
all  enslaving  tendencies  of  this  nature. 

(3.)  A  man  who  is  in  the  enjoyment  of  true  religious 
liberty  will  not  be  inthralled  by  inordinate  domestic  oi 
patriotic  affections,  however  ennobling  they  may  be 
thought  to  be  —  such  as  the  love  of  parents  and  children, 
the  love  of  friends  and  country.  It  is  true  that  spiritual 
liberty  does  not  exclude  the  exercise  of  these   affections 

—  which  are,  in  many  respects,  generous  and  elevated 

—  any  more  than  it  condemns  and  excludes  the  exist- 
ence and  exercise  of  the  lower  appetites  and  propensi- 
ties. It  pronounces  its  condemnation  and  exclusion 
upon  a  certain  degree  of  them,  or  a  certain  intensity  of 
power.  When  they  are  so  strong  as  to  become  perplex- 
ities and  entanglements  in  the  path  of  duty,  then  they 
are  evidently  inconsistent  with  the  existence  of  true 
spiritual  freedom,  and  in  that  shape,  and  in  that  degree, 
necessarily  come  undej;  condemnation.  I  have,  for  in- 
stance, a  very  near  and  dear  friend,  who  is  exceedingly 
worthy  of  my  affections ;  but  if  my  love  to  him  leads 
me  —  perhaps  almost  involuntarily  —  to  seek  his  com- 
pany when  my  duty  to  my  God  and  my  fellow-men 
calls  me  in  another  direction,  and  if  I  find  it  diffi- 
cult to  subdue  and  regulate  this  disposition  of  mind,  it 
is  evident  that  I  am  not  in  the  purest  and  highest  state 


OF    SPIRITUAL    LIBERTY.  261 

of  internal  liberty,  I  have  wrongly  given  to  a  creature 
something  which  belongs  to  God  alone. 

(4.)  When  we  are  wrongly  under  the  influence  of 
disinclinations  and  aversions,  we  cannot  be  said  to  be 
in  internal  liberty.  Sometimes,  when  God  very  obvi- 
ously calls  us  to  the  discharge  of  duty,  we  are  inter- 
nally conscious  of  a  great  degree  of  backwardness. 
We  do  it,  it  is  true  ;  but  we  feel  that  we  do  not  like  to 
do  it.  There  are  certain  duties  which  we  owe  to  the 
poor  and  degraded,  to  the  openly  profane  and  impure, 
which  are  oftentimes  repugnant  to  persons  of  certain 
refined  mental  habits ;  but  if  we  find  that  these  refined 
repugnances,  which  come  in  the  way  of  duty,  have 
great  power  over  us,  we  are  not  in  the  true  liberty. 
We  have  not  that  strength  in  God,  which  enables  us  to 
act  vigorously  and  freely.  Sometimes  we  have  an 
aversion  to  an  individual,  the  origin  of  which  we  can- 
not easily  account  for  ;  there  is  something  unpleasant 
to  us,  and  perhaps  unreasonably  so,  in  his  countenance, 
his  manners,  or  his  person.  If  this  aversion  interferes 
with,  and  prevents,  the  prompt  and  full  discharge  of  the 
duty  which,  as  a  friend  and  a  Christian,  we  owe  to  him, 
then  we  have  reason  to  think  that  we  have  not  reached 
that  state  of  holy  and  unrestrained  flexibility  of  mind 
which  the  true  idea  of  spiritual  liberty  implies. 

(5.)  The  person  is  not  in  the  enjoyment  of  true 
liberty  of  spirit,  who  is  wanting  in  the  disposition  of 
accommodation  to  others  in  things  which  are  not  of 
especial  importance.  And  this  is  the  case  when  we 
needlessly  insist  upon  having  every  thing  done  in  our 
own  time  and  manner  ;  when  we  are  troubled  about 
little  things,  which  are  in  themselves  indifferent,  and 
think,  perhaps,  more  of  the  position  of  a  chair  than  of 
the  salvation  of  a  soul  ;  when  we  find  a  diflicalty  in 
making  allowance  for  the  constitutional  differences,  in 
others,  which  it  may  not  be  either  easy  or  important  for 
them  10  correct  ;  when  we  fird  ourselves  disgusted  be- 
cause another  does  not  express  himself  in  entire  accord- 
ance   with    our  princTies   of  taste;    or    when   we    are 


262  ON    THE    TRUE    IDEA 

displeased  and  dissatisfied  with  his  reh'gious,  or  other 
performances,  although  we  know  he  does  the  best  he 
can.  All  these  things,  and  many  others  like  them,  give 
evidence  of  a  mind  that  has  not  entered  into  the  broad 
and  untrammelled  domain  of  spiritual  freedom. 

We  may  properly  add  here,  that  the  fault-finder  — 
especially  one  who  is  in  the  confirmed  habit  of  fault- 
finding —  is  not  a  man  of  a  free  spirit.  Accordingly, 
those  who  are  often  complaining  of  their  minister,  of 
the  brethren  of  the  church,  of  the  time  and  manner  of 
the  ordinances,  and  of  many  other  persons  and  things, 
will  find,  on  a  careful  examination,  that  they  are  too 
full  of  self,  too  strongly  moved  by  their  personal  views 
and  interests,  to  know  the  true  and  full  import  of  that 
ennobling  liberty  which  the  Savior  gives  to  his  truly 
sanctified  ones. 

(6.)  The  person  who  is  disturbed  and  impatient 
v/hen  events  fall  out  differently  from  what  he  expected 
and  anticipated  is  not  in  the  enjoyment  of  true  spiritual 
freedom.  In  accordance  with  the  great  idea  of  God's 
perfect  sovereignty,  the  man  of  a  religiously  free  spirit 
regards  all  events  which  take  place  —  sin  only  except- 
ed—  as  an  expression,  under  the  existing  circum- 
stances, of  the  will  of  God.  And  such  is  his  unity 
with  the  divine  will,  that  there  is  an  immediate  acqui- 
escence in  the  event,  whatever  may  be  its  nature,  and 
however  afflicting  in  its  personal  bearings.  His  mind 
has  acquired,  as  it  were,  a  divine  flexibility,  in  virtue 
of  which  it  accommodates  itself,  with  surprising  ease 
and  readiness,  to  all  the  developments  of  Providence, 
whether  prosperous  or  adverse. 

(7.)  Those  who  are  in  the  enjoyment  of  true  liberty 
are  patient  under  interior  temptations,  and  all  inward 
trials  of  mind.  They  can  bless  the  hand  that  smites 
them  internally  as  well  as  externally.  Knowing  that 
all  good  exercises  are  from  the  Holy  Spirit,  they  have 
no  disposition  to  prescribe  to  God  what  the  particular 
nature  of  those  exercises  shall  be.  If  God  sees  fit  to 
try,  and   to  strengthen,  their  5      it   of  submission  and 


OF     SPIRITUAL    LIBERTY.  263 

patience  by  bringing  them  into  a  state  of  great  heavi 
ness  and  sorrow,  either  by  subjecting  them  to  severe 
temptations  from  the  adversary  of  souls,  or  by  laying 
upon  tliem  the  burden  of  deep  grief  for  an  impenitent 
world,  or  in  any  other  way,  they  feel  it  to  be  all  right 
and  well.  They  ask  for  their  daily  bread  spiritually,  as 
well  as  temporally ;  and  they  cheerfully  receive  what 
God  sees  fit  to  send  them. 

(8.)  The  person  who  enjoys  true  liberty  of  spirit  is 
the  most  deliberate  and  cautious  in  doing  what  he  is 
most  desirous  to  do.  This  arises  from  the  fact  that  he 
is  very  much  afraid  of  being  out  of  the  line  of  God's 
will  and  order.  He  distrusts,  and  examines  closely,  all 
strong  desires  and  strong  feelings  generally,  especially  if 
they  agitate  his  mind  and  render  it  somewhat  uncontrol- 
lable ; —  not  merely  or  chiefly  because  the  feelings  arc 
strong ;  that  is  not  the  reason  ;  but  because  there  is  rea- 
son to  fear,  from  the  very  fact  of  their  strength  and 
agitating  tendency,  that  some  of  nature's  fire,  which  true 
sanctification  quenches  and  destroys,  has  mingled  in 
with  the  holy  and  peaceable  flame  of  divine  love.  John 
the  Baptist,  no  doubt,  had  a  strong  natural  desire  to  be 
near  Jesus  Christ  while  he  was  here  on  earth,  to  hear 
his  divine  words,  to  enjoy  personally  his  company  ;  but 
in  the  ennobling  liberty  of  spirit  which  the  Holy  Ghost 
gave  him,  he  was  enabled  to  overrule  and  suppress  this 
desire,  and  to  remain  alone  in  the  solitary  places  of  the 
wilderness. 

(9.)  He  who  is  in  true  liberty  of  spirit  is  not  easily 
excited  by  opposition.  The  power  of  grace  gives  him 
aiward  strength ;  and  it  is  the  nature  of  true  strength  to 
be  deliberate.  Accordingly,  when  his  views  are  contro- 
verted, he  is  not  hasty  to  reply.  He  is  not  indifferent  ; 
but  he  replies  calmly  and  thoughtfully.  He  has  confi- 
dence in  the  truth,  because  he  has  confidence  in  God. 
"  God  is  true  ;  "  and  being  what  he  is,  God  can  have  no 
fellowship  with  that  which  is  the  opposite  of  truth.  He 
knows  that,  if  his  own  sentiments  are  not  correct,  they 
will  pass  away  in  due  time;  because  every  thing  which 


264  ON    THE    TRUE    IDEA 

is  false  necessarily  carries  in  itself  the  element  of  its  own 
destruction.  He  knows  tx)o  that,  if  the  sentiments  of 
)iis  adversaries  are  false,  they  bear  no  stamp  of  durability. 
God  is  arrayed  against  them  ;  and  they  must  sooner  or 
later  fall.  Hence  it  is,  that  his  strong  faith  in  God,  and 
in  the  truth  of  which  God  is  the  protector,  kills  the  ea- 
gerness of  nature.  He  is  calm  amid  opposition  ;  patient 
under  rebuke. 

(10.)  The  person  of  a  truly  liberated  spirit,  although 
he  is  ever  ready  to  do  his  duty,  waits  piatiently  till  the 
proper  time  of  action.  He  has  no  choice  of  time  but 
that  which  is  indicated  by  the  providence  of  God.  The 
Savior  himself  could  not  act  until  his  "  hour  was  come." 
When  he  was  young,  he  was  subject  to  his  parents ; 
when  he  was  older,  he  taught  in  the  synagogues.  In 
his  journeyings,  in  his  miracles,  in  his  instructions,  in 
his  sufferings,  he  always  had  an  acquiescent  and  approv- 
ms  reference  to  that  providential  order  of  events  which 
his  heavenly  Father  had  established.  On  the  contrary, 
an  inthralled  mind,  although  it  is  religiously  disposed 
in  part,  will  frequently  adopt  a  precipitate  and  undelib- 
erate course  of  action,  which  is  inconsistent  with  a 
humble  love  of  the  divine  order.  Such  a  person  thinks 
that  freedom  consists  in  having  things  in  his  own  way, 
whereas  true  freedom  consists  in  having  things  in  the 
right  way  ;  and  the  right  way  is  God's  way.  And  in 
this  remark  we  include  not  only  the  thing  to  be  done, 
and  the  manner  of  doing  it,  but  also  the  time  of  doing  it. 

(11.)  The  possessor  of  true  religious  liberty,  when 
he  has  submissively  and  conscientiously  done  his  duty, 
is  not  troubled  by  any  undue  anxiety  in  relation  to  the 
result.  It  may  be  laid  down  as  a  maxim,  that  he  who 
asserts  that  he  has  left  all  things  in  the  hands  of  God, 
dnd  at  the  same  time  exhibits  trouble  and  agitation  of 
spirit  in  relation  to  the  results  of  those  very  things, 
(with  the  exception  of  those  agitated  movements  or  dis- 
quietudes which  are  purely  instinctive, j  giVes  abundant 
evidence,  in  the  fact  of  this  agitation  of  spirit,  that  he 
has  not  really  made  the  entire   surrender  which  he  pro- 


OF    SPIRITUAL    LIBERTY.  265 

fesses  to  have  made.  The  alleged  facts  are  contradic- 
tory of  each  other,  and  both  cannot  exist  at  the  same  time 

Finally.  In  view  of  what  has  been  said,  and  as  a 
sort  of  summary  of  the  whole,  we  may  remark  that  true 
liberty  of  spirit  is  found  in  those,  and  in  those  only, 
who,  in  the  language  of  De  Sales,  "  keep  the  heart  to- 
tally disengaged  from  every  created  thing,  in  order  that 
they  may  follow  the  known  will  of  God."  In  other 
words,  it  is  found  with  those  who  can  say,  with  the 
apostle  Paul,  that  they  are  "  dead,  and  their  life  is  hid 
with  Christ  in  God."  The  ruling  motive  in  the  breast 
of  the  man  of  a  religiously  free  spirit  is,  that  he  may,  in 
all  cases  and  on  all  occasions,  do  the  will  of  God.  In 
that  will  his  "  life  is  hid."  The  supremacy  of  the  di- 
vine will  —  in  other  words,  the  reign  of  God  in  the  heart 
—  necessarily  has  a  direct  and  powerful  operation  upon 
the  appetites,  propensities,  and  affections  ;  keeping  them, 
each  and  all,  in  their  proper  place.  As  God  rules  in  the 
heart,  every  thing  else  is  necessarily  subordinate.  It  is 
said  of  the  Savior  himself,  that  "  he  pleased  not  him- 
self," bui  that  he  came  ''to  do  his  Father's  will." 

Another  thing,  which  can  be  said  affirmatively  and 
positively,  is,  that  those  who  are  spiritually  free  are  led 
by  the  Spirit  of  God.  A  man  who  is  really  guided  by 
his  appetites,  his  propensities,  or  even  by  his  affections, 
his  love  of  country,  or  any  thing  else  other  than  the 
Spirit  of  God,  cannot  be  said  to  be  led  by  that  divine 
Spirit.  The  Spirit  of  God,  ruling  in  the  heart,  will  not 
bear  the  presence  of  any  rival,  any  competitor.  In  the 
heart  of  true  liberty  the  Spirit  of  God  rules,  and  rules 
alone  ;  so  that  he  who  is  in  the  possession  of  this  lib- 
erty does  nothing  of  his  own  pleasure  or  his  own  choice. 
That  is  to  say,  in  all  cases  of  voluntary  action,  he  does 
nothing  under  the  impulse  and  guidance  of  natural  pleas- 
ure or  natural  choice  alone.  His  liberty  consists  m 
being  free  from  self;  in  being  liberated  from  the  domin- 
ion of  the  world ;  in  lying  quietly  and  submissively  in 
the  hands  of  God  ;  in  leaving  himself,  like  clay  in  the 
hands  of  the  potter,  to  be  moulded  and  fashioned  by  the 
23 


266        ON    THE    TRUE    IDEA    OF    SPIRITUAL    LIBERTY. 

divme  will.  Natural  liberty  may  be  said  to  consist  in 
following  the  natural  sentiments  ;  in  doing  our  own  d?- 
sires  and  purposes,  which  naturally  throng  in  upon  the 
soul  and  take  possession.  It  is  like  a  strong  man,  that 
is  under  the  complete  control  of  his  irregular  passions. 
Spiritual  liberty  consists  in  passively,  yet  intelligently 
and  approvingly,  following  the  leadings  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  It  is  like  a  little  child,  that  reposes,  in  simplicity 
and  in  perfect  confidence,  on  the  bosom  of  its  beloved 
mother.  Natural  liberty  combines,  with  the  appearance 
of  liberty,  the  reality  of  subjection.  He  who  has  but 
natural  liberty  is  a  slave  to  himself.  In  spiritual  lib- 
erty, it  is  just  the  opposite.  He  who  is  spiritually  free 
has  entire  dominion  over  himself.  Spiritual  liberty  im- 
plies, with  the  fact  of  entire  submission  to  God,  the 
great  and  precious  reality  of  interior  emancipation.  He 
who  is  spiritually  free  is  free  in  God.  And  he  may,  per- 
haps, be  said  to  be  free  in  the  same  sense  in  which  God 
is,  who  is  free  to  do  every  thing  right,  and  nothing 
wrong. 

This  is  freedom  indeed.  This  is  the  liberty  with 
which  Christ  makes  free.  This  is  emancipation  which 
inspires  the  songs  of  angels  —  a  freedom  which  earth 
cannot  purchase^  and  which  hell  cannot  shackle. 


267 


CHAPTER   FIFTEENTH. 


ON    GROWTH   IN   HOLINESS. 


If  a  person  is  holy,  how  can  he  be  more  holy  ?  1/ 
he  is  perfectly  holy,  how  can  he  increase  in  holiness .' 
These  are  questions  which  are  frequently  asked,  and 
which  it  is  desirable  satisfactorily  to  answer. 

That  a  thing  may  be  perfect  in  its  nature,  and  yet  be 
susceptible  of  growth  or  advancement  in  degree,  is,  I  sup- 
pose, a  matter  of  common  observation.  An  oak,  when 
it  first  rises  above  the  surface  of  the  ground,  is  so  small 
and  weak,  that  it  may  be  easily  trodden  under  foot ; 
and  yet  it  is  as  really  and  truly  an  oak  as  when  it  sub- 
sequently stands  forth  in  the  strength  and  stature  of  a 
hundred  years,  A  human  being  is  in  his  nature  as  much 
a  human  being  in  the  period  of  infancy  as  in  the  sub- 
sequent expansion  and  growth  of  manhood.  And  so, 
consider  a  man  m  relation  to  any  intellectual  power  ot 
the  mind,  or  in  relation  to  any  appetite  or  affection  of 
the  mind,  and  the  same  view  may  very  properly  be 
taken.  A  person  is  a  reasoner,  for  instance  ;  he  under- 
stands perfectly  the  principles  and  process  of  reasoning, 
and  he  may  be  able  to  apply  the  principles  and  process 
perfectly  in  a  given  case  ;  and  yet,  under  the  favorable 
influence  of  the  law  of  habit,  he  may  much  increase 
the  promptness  and  facility,  and  consequent  perfection, 
in  the  operations  of  this  mental  faculty.  Again,  an 
intemperate  man  may  become  perfectly  temperate  ;  and 
yet  we  all  know  the  general  fact,  that  one  who  is  thus 
entirely  reformed  from  intemperance,  is  more  likely  to 
be  overcome  by  temptation  in  the  earlier  periods  of  his 


268  ON    GROWTH    IN    HOLINESS. 

reformation,  than  when  subsequently  the  temi'erate  prin- 
ciple has  acqinred  growth  and  strength. 

And  we  may  not  only  say,  in  general  terms,  that  there 
may  be  a  growth  in  perfection,  but  may  assert  further, 
that  the  thing  which  is  most  perfect,  if  it  be  susceptible 
of  growth  at  all,  will  have  the  most  sure  and  rapid 
growth.  Which  grows  most  and  in  the  best  manner  — 
the  flower  which  is  whole  and  perfect  in  its  incipient 
state,  or  that  which  has  a  canker  in  it,  or  is  otherwise 
injured  and  defective  in  some  of  its  parts?  Which  will 
grow  the  most  rapidly  and  symmetrically  —  the  child 
which  is  perfect  in  its  infancy,  or  one  which  is  afflicted 
with  some  malformation  ?  Illustrations  and  facts  of 
this  kind  seem  to  make  it  clear  that  the  spiritually  ren- 
ovated state  of  mind,  which  is  variously  called  holiness, 
assurance  of  faith,  perfect  love,  and  sanctif  cation,  may 
be  susceptible  of  growth  or  increase.  It  is  not  only  evi- 
dent that  there  is  no  natural  or  physical  impossibility  in 
it,  but,  as  has  been  intimated,  we  may  go  farther, 
and  lay  it  down  as  a  general  truth,  that  perfection  in 
the  nature  of  a  thing  is  requisite  to  perfection  in  degree. 
And  accordingly,  although  it  is  possible  for  a  person  who 
is  partially  holy  to  grow  in  holiness,  a  person  who  is 
entirely  holy,  although  he  may  be  assailed  by  unfavora- 
ble influences  outwardly,  will  grow  much  more.  The 
obstacles  to  growth  in  holiness  will  not  only  be  much 
less  in  the  latter  case  than  in  the  former,  but  that  inward 
vitality,  which  is  necessary  to  the  greatest  expansion 
and  progress,  will  possess  a  positive  and  eflTective  power, 
unknown  under  other  circumstances. 

(II.)  These  views  not  only  commend  themselves  to 
common  observation  and  the  lights  of  human  reason, 
but  we  remark,  in  the  second  place,  that  they  are  also 
fully  in  accordance  with  what  we  are  taught  in  the 
Scriptures.  We  learn,  in  relation  to  John  the  Baptist, 
that  he  was  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  from  his  birth, 
and  that  consequently  he  was  sanctified  from  that  early 
period.     But  when  we  contemplate  him  in  after  life,  in 


ON    GROWTH    IN    HOLINESS.  269 

the  temptations  and  labors  he  underwent,  in  his  faithful 
preaching,  in  his  stern  rebukes  of  wickedness  in  high 
places  as  well  as  low,  in  his  imprisonment,  and  in  the 
general  growth  and  expansion  of  his  matured  and  con- 
secrated powers,  can  there  possibly  be  any  difficulty  in 
ascribing  to  him  a  growth  in  holiness  ?  Does  not  the 
opposite  idea,  viz.,  that  in  the  degree  of  holiness  he  was 
not  more  advanced  than  at  the  period  of  his  birth,  carry 
an  absurdity  upon  the  very  face  of  it  ?  And  we  may 
remark  further,  that  it  is  expressly  said  of  him,  "  And 
the  child  grew,  and  waxed  strong  in  spirit,''  The 
Savior  also  was  holy  from  the  very  beginning  of  his 
existence.  There  was  no  one  power,  either  of  body  or 
mind,  that  was  not  fully  sanctified.  But  it  was  said  of 
him,  in  terms  similar  to  those  applied  to  John  the  Bap- 
tist, Luke  ii.  40,  "And  the  child  grew,  and  waxed 
STRONG  IN  spirit,  filled  with  wisdom,  and  the  grace  of 
God  was  upon  him."  And  again  it  is  said  of  him,  in 
the  same  chapter,  "  And  Jesus  increased  in  wisdom  and 
stature,  and  in  favor  with  God  and  man."  What  is  the 
meaning  of  this  increase  of  strength  in  spirit  ?  And  how 
could  he  increase  in  the  favor  of  his  heavenly  Father, 
if,  with  the  increase  of  his  expanding  powers,  there 
was  not  also  a  corresponding  growth  in  holy  love  ?  The 
Scriptures  every  where  speak  of  growth.  They  do  not 
recognize  the  idea  of  standing  still ;  and  all  those  pas- 
sages which  require  growth  in  grace  and  religious  knowl- 
edge are  as  applicable  after  the  experience  of  sanctifi- 
cation  as  before.  "  Let  us,  therefore,  as  many  as  be 
PERFECT,  be  thus  minded."  Philip,  iii.  15.  Be  thus 
minded  in  what  respect  ?  The  answer  is  found  in  the 
preceding  verse,  viz.,  to  "press  toward  the  mark  for 
the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus." 
"Be  ye  therefore  perfect,"  says  the  Savior,  "as  your 
Father  in  heaven  is  perfect."  This  remarkable  and 
most  impressive  command  evidently  implies  two  things. 
The  first  is,  that  we  should  be  perfect  in  our  sphere  ; 
that  is  to  say,  in  our  perceptions,  our  feelings,  and  our 
purposes,  to  the  full  extent  of  our  capability.  And  the 
23* 


270  ON    GROWTH    IN    HOLINESS. 

second  is,  that  we  should  continually  expand,  in  accord- 
ance with  that  law  of  increase  which  is  a  part  of  the 
nature  of  every  rational  being,  our  capacity  of  feeling 
and  of  knowledge,  whatever  it  may  be.  And  in  doing 
this,  (that  is  to  say,  on  the  supposition  of  its  being 
done,)  we  fulfil  the  command  absolutely,  so  far  as  the 
nature  of  our  mental  exercises  is  concerned ;  and  fulfil 
it  by  approximation,  or  continual  expansion  and  growth, 
so  far  as  relates  to  their  degree.  It  is  thus  with  the 
angels  in  heaven.  They  are  holy,  but  are  always  grow- 
ing in  holiness.  In  the  nature  of  their  exercises  they  are 
like  their  heavenly  Father,  and  perfect  as  he  is  perfect  ; 
but  in  relation  to  the  degree  of  their  exercises,  they 
can  be  said  to  be  perfect  only  in  availing  themselves 
of  every  possible  means  of  approximation  and  growth 
Growth,  therefore,  —  continual  advancement,  —  is  the 
unalterable  law  of  all  created  holy  beings.  And 
hence  it  is  further  said  in  the  Scriptures,  in  expressions 
that  are  full  of  weighty  import,  "  For  whosoever  hath, 
♦o  him  shall  be  given,  and  he  shall  have  more  abim- 
dance  ;  but  whosoever  hath  not,  from  him  shall  be  taken 
away  even  that  he  hath."     Matt.  xiii.  12. 

(III.)  Some  persons  may  admit  the  fact  of  growth 
in  holiness  after  the  experience  of  full  sanctification, 
and  still  be  in  some  degree  of  perplexity  as  to  the  'man- 
ner of  it.  We  proceed,  therefore,  in  the  third  place, 
without  promising  to  remove  this  perplexity  altogether, 
to  enter  into  some  explanations  upon  this  topic.  Evan- 
gelical holiness,  it  will  be  recollected,  is  nothing  more 
nor  less  than  perfect  love.  Love  is  based  in  jjart  upon 
knowledge,  and  is  necessarily  based  upon  it.  It  is  en- 
tirely evident  that  we  can  never  love  an  object  of  which 
we  have  no  knowledge  ;  and  it  is  equally  so  that,  in 
proportion  as  our  knowledge  extends,  we  have  a  wider 
intellectual  basis  for  the  action  of  this  principle.  And 
accordingly,  every  new  manifestation  of  God's  character, 
every  new  exhibition  of  his  attributes,  every  additional 
development  of  his  providences,  will  furnish  new  occa- 
sions for  accessions  of  love.    It  is  the  privilege,  therefore. 


ON    GROWTH    IN    HOLINESS.  27J 

of  a  person  perfected  in  love,  and  consequently  a  holy 
person,  to  increase  in  holiness  in  exact  proportion  with 
his  increase  in  knowledge. 

Again,  it  is  well  known  that  there  is  a  great  law  of 
our  mental  nature  termed  the  law  of  habit.  The  law 
is,  that  increased  facility  and  strength  of  mental  action 
results  from  repetition  or  practice.  There  does  not  ap- 
pear to  be  a  power  of  the  mind,  eithei  intellectual  or 
sensitive,  which  may  not  feel  the  influence  of  this  law. 
And  according  to  this  law,  every  exercise  of  love,  when 
the  exercises  are  continuously  successive,  will  give  place 
to  another,  which  is  increased  in  strength.  And  hence 
a  holy  being,  (not  one  who  is  holy  to-day  and  sinning 
to-morrow,  and  so  on  alternately,  but  a  holy  being,)  who 
continues  to  be  so,  will  necessarily  go  on  from  one  de- 
gree of  strength  to  another.  And  we  may  add,  by  way 
of  illustration,  that  it  seems  to  be  the  same  here  as  it  is 
in  regard  to  depravity.  Our  theologians  assure  us,  that 
man  is  by  nature  entirely  depraved.  But  they  also 
agree  in  asserting,  that  entireness  of  depravity  does  not 
preclude  the  idea  of  growth  in  depravity.  They  admit 
that  the  law  of  habit  strengthens  the  intensity  of  the 
depraved  element.  A  depraved  man  is  more  depraved 
than  a  depraved  child  ;  and  a  depraved  devil  is  more 
depraved  than  a  depraved  man.  If  theologians  gener- 
ally propound  as  sound  doctrine  the  idea  of  growth  in 
the  matter  of  depravity,  when  the  depravity  is  entire,  it 
would  be  difficult  to  show  its  unsoundness  in  the  mat- 
ter of  holiness. 

And  there  is  another  important  consideration.  There 
are  grounds  for  the  remark,  that  we  may  indirectly  in- 
crease the  strength  of  holy  emotions  and  desires,  by  a 
removal  of  the  various  obstacles  which  oppose  and  ob- 
struct their  exercise.  The  speed  of  a  vessel  or  of  a 
railroad  car  depends  not  only  upon  the  amount  of  the 
propelling  power,  whatever  that  power  may  be,  but  also, 
in  part,  upon  the  number  and  greatness  of  the  obstacles 
to  be  overcome.     If  the  obstacles  are  many  and  great 


272  ON    GROWTH    IN    HOLINESS. 

the  speed  will  be  less.  Now,  the  sanctified  person  is 
continually  acquiring  knowledge,  not  only  in  relation  to 
the  great  and  adorable  object  of  his  perfected  love,  but 
also  in  relation  to  his  own  physical  and  intellectual  in- 
firmities, the  nature  of  temptations,  and  the  subtle  arts 
of  the  adversary  of  souls.  In  these  infirmities,  tempta- 
tions, and  evil  arts,  he  finds  very  serious  obstacles  to 
his  progress  in  holiness.  But  every  day's  experience, 
under  the  instructions  and  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
teaches  their  nature  and  diminishes  their  power.  He 
learns  where  his  weakness  is,  and  understands  better 
than  he  did  at  first  how  to  counteract  it.  He  knows  the 
artifices  of  the  adversary,  the  insidious  manner  of  his 
approaches,  and  the  way  in  which  he  can  be  resisted 
and  defeated.  And  the  result  of  this  knowledge  is,  that 
many  serious  obstacles  which  existed  before,  and  which 
perplexed  his  progress,  are  removed.  His  increased 
knowledge  of  the  character  of  God,  the  influence  of 
the  law  of  habit,  the  imparted  influences  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  have  their  natural  and  unobstructed  effect,  and 
accelerate,  as  they  would  not  do  under  other  circum- 
stances, the  ascendant  flight  of  the  soul. 

These  considerations  evidently  show,  that  the  idea  of 
growth  in  holiness,  when  the  heart  is  already  sanctified 
to  God,  is  not  an  unreasonable  one.  On  the  contrary, 
it  would  seem,  on  any  principles  of  reason  applicable 
to  the  case,  that  the  growth  of  a  sanctified  soul  in  holi- 
ness would  be  much  more  rapid  than  that  of  a  soul  but 
partially  sanctified.  The  testimony  of  those  who  have 
arrived  at  the  state  of  assurance  of  faith  and  perfected 
love  confirms  these  views.  Their  testimony  is  that, 
after  having  reached  this  state,  their  growth  in  grace  is 
much  more  rapid  and  sure  than  it  was  before.  They 
are  conscious  of  increased  power  against  temptation,  and 
of  an  increase  of  union  with  the  divine  will,  to  an  extent 
unknown  in  their  previous  experience.  What  growth, 
then,  must  there  be  in  angel  minds,  which  are  neither 
obstructed  by  inward   nor  by  outward  evils   in   their 


ON    GROWTH    IN    HOLINESS.  273 

progress !  What  expansion  with  each  revolving  day ! 
What  increased  intensity  of  desire  !  What  higher  and 
more  triumphant  energies  of  love  ! 

In  conclusion,  we  exhort  those  who  are  sanctified 
to  the  Lord  to  grow  abundantly  in  holiness.  Of  two 
persons,  both  of  whom  are  truly  holy  persons,  one  may 
grow  in  holiness  more  rapidly  and  surely  than  another. 
This  is  an  important  fact,  and  one  that  is  often  over- 
looked. The  difference  of  growth  in  holiness,  after  the 
experience  of  sanctification,  seems  to  us  to  depend,  next 
to  believing  and  earnest  application  for  divine  assistance, 
upon  growth  in  knowledge.  Little  claim  has  any  one 
to  the  character  of  a  holy  person,  who  is  willing  to  be 
ignorant.  We  have  not  reference,  in  this  remark,  to  the 
mere  knowledge  of  natural  things,  which  oftentimes 
perplexes  rather  than  promotes  the  inward  life,  but  to 
religious  knowledge ;  to  any  thing  and  every  thing 
Avhich  throws  light  upon  the  character,  providences,  and 
the  will  of  God ;  and  to  whatever  illustrates  the  char- 
acter, relations,  and  moral  and  religious  duties,  of  man. 
Holiness,  considered  in  its  full  extent,  is  a  great  study ; 
and  he  only  who  is  willing  to  be  a  diligent  and  faith- 
ful student  will  understand  it.  Hence  we  are  told,  in 
the  Second  Epistle  of  Peter,  that  God  hath  given  us  all 
things  that  pertain  unto  life  and  godliness,  ''through 
the  knowledge  of  him  that  has  called  us  to  glory  and 
virtue  ;  "  and  are  directed,  in  the  same  chapter,  to  add 
"*o  our  faith  virtue,  and  to  virtue  knowledge." 


274 


CHAPTER    SIXTEENTH. 


ON   THE    CONFESSION   OF    SIN. 


Should  those  who  are  so  far  advanced  in  the  reh- 
gious  life  as  to*  be  justly  regarded  as  sanctified  or  holy 
persons,  confess  sin  ?  This  is  a  question  which  is 
sometimes  asked  with  a  degree  of  solicitude,  and  from 
good  motives.  And  besides,  it  is  often  adduced  as  one 
of  the  greatest  objections  to  the  doctrine  of  the  realiza- 
tion of  holiness  in  the  present  life,  that  those  who  have 
experienced  it  ought  not  to,  and  cannot,  confess  sin. 

First.  The  confession  of  sin  during  the  whole 
course  of  the  present  life  is  exceedingly  proper,  for 
variou-s  reasons  ;  and  in  the  first  place,  because  sin  is  an 
unspeakable  evil.  We  suppose  that  those  who  have 
experienced  a  perfected  state  of  faith  and  love  will 
understand  this  remark  more  fully  than  others.  They 
have  tasted  the  bitter  fruits  of  sin  ;  they  have  in  many 
cases  endured  a  severe  and  terrible  contest  in  driving  it 
from  the  heart ;  they  are  now  engaged  momentarily  in 
a  constant  warfare  to  prevent  its  reentrance  ;  they  know 
it  is  the  one  great  thing,  and  the  only  thing,  which  sep- 
arates the  soul  from  God  ;  they  know  that  every  sin, 
even  the  smallest,  is  exceedingly  heinous  in  God's  sight , 
they  feel  that  they  had  rather  die  a  thousand  deaths 
than  voluntarily  commit  even  the  smallest  sin.  Now, 
when  they  remember  that,  during  a  considerable  portion 
of  their  lives,  they  were  sinning  against  God  every  day 
and  hour,  despising,  injuring,  and  insulting  continually 
that  great  and  good  Being,  whom  now  their  hearts  as 
continually  adore,  they  are  penetrated  with  the  deepest 
grief.     They  never,  never  can  forget  the  greatness  of 


ON    TUr    CONFESSION    OF    SIN.  275 

their  former  degradation  and  guilt ;  and,  in  their  present 
state  of  mind,  they  never  can  remember  it  without 
being,  at  each  distinct  retrospection,  deeply  humbled 
and  penitent.  Indeed,  as  true  confession  consists  much 
more  in  the  state  of  the  heart  than  in  the  expression  of 
the  lips,  and  as  the  surest  mark  of  true  confession  is  an 
earnest  striving  after  the  opposite  of  that  which  is  con- 
fessed as  wrong,  those  who  are  earnestly  seeking  and 
practising  holiness  may  be  said,  in  the  highest  sense  of 
the  terms,  to  he  always  acknowledging  and  always  la- 
menting their  sin.  Their  watching,  their  strife,  their 
warfare,  is  against  sin,  as  the  evil  and  bitter  thing  which 
their  soul  hates,  and  which  their  souls  shall  ever  hate, 
whenever  and  wherever  committed,  whether  by  them- 
selves or  others,  at  the  present  time  or  in  times  past. 

Second.  There  is  a  propriety  and  a  practical  impor- 
tance in  the  confession  of  sin,  during  the  whole  course 
of  the  present  life ;  because  our  various  infirmities,  our 
defects  of  judgment,  our  frequent  ignorance  of  the  mo- 
tives and  characters  of  our  fellow-men,  and  the  relatively 
wrong  acts  and  feelings  which  originate  in  these  sources, 
from  which  no  one,  in  the  present  period  of  the  history 
of  the  church,  can  reasonably  expect  to  be  free,  require 
an  atonement,  as  well  as  our  wilful  or  voluntary  trans- 
gressions. We  do  not  suppose  that  it  is  necessary  here 
to  enter  into  an  argument  for  the  purpose  of  showing 
that  such  imperfections,  originally  flowing  from  oui 
fallen  condition  and  our  connection  with  Adam,  require 
the  application  of  Christ's  blood.  Such  is  not  only  our 
own  belief,  but  we  have  reason  to  believe  that  it  is  a 
doctrine  which  is  generally  conceded  by  those  who 
will  be  likely  to  take  an  interest  in  these  inquiries.  There 
are  various  passages  of  Scripture,  such  as  l^ev.  iv.  3, 
and  Numb.  xv.  27 — 30,  which  have  relation  to  such 
infirmities  and  sins,  and  which  might  be  properly  con- 
sulted, if  the  present  were  an  occasion  to  enter  into  a 
minute  examination  of  the  subject. 

It  is  in  accordance  with  what  has  now  been  said,  that 


276  ON    THE    CONFESSION    OF    SIN. 

Christians,  who  are  well  established  in  the  interior  life, 
whenever  they  have  fallen  into  such  errors  and  infirmi- 
ties, experience  no  true  peace  of  mind  until  they  find 
a  sense  of  forgiveness.  For  an  error  in  judgment;  for 
an  ill-placed  word  when  there  was  no  evil  design  or 
intention  of  saying  what  was  wrong  ;  for  an  action  which 
was  undesignedly  a  mistaken  one,  either  through  undue 
remissness  or  through  undue  haste  ;  for  any  unavoidable 
blindnesses  and  ignorances  whatever,  which  are  followed 
by  evil  and  unhappy  results,  they  find  no  resource  but 
in  an  immediate  and  believing  application  to  the  atoning 
blood.  It  is  true,  they  do  not  ordinarily  have  those  bit- 
ter feelings  of  condemnation  and  remorse  which  they 
have  when  they  have  committed  a  deliberate  transgres- 
sion ;  but  they  feel  deep  humiliation  and  sorrow  of  heart ; 
they  see  the  results  of  sin  flowing  from  the  original  re- 
bellion, and  have  what  may  perhaps  be  called  an  instinc- 
tive conviction,  that  the  occasion  is  a  fitting  one  for  pen- 
itent grief  and  for  humble  confession.  Now,  as  such  in- 
firmities are  very  frequent,  and  as,  indeed,  they  are  una- 
voidable, so  long  as  we  come  short  of  the  intellectual  and 
physical  perfection  of  Adam,  we  shall  have  abundant 
occasion  to  confess  our  trespasses ;  and  it  will  ever  be 
true,  that  our  sin,  in  this  sense  of  the  term,  will  always 
oe  before  us. 

It  may  be  proper  to  remark  here,  that  it  was  probably 
in  this  view  of  the  subject  that  Mr.  Wesley,  while  he 
maintained,  with  great  ability  and  earnestness,  the  doc- 
trine of  Christian  perfection,  or  of  perfect  love,  did  not 
hold  to  the  doctrine  of  sinless  perfection.  That  is  to 
say,  he  maintained  that  it  was  both  our  duty  and  our 
privilege  to  love  God  with  all  our  heart  ;  and  also  tha 
this  state  of  mind,  viz.,  of  assured  faith  and  perfected 
love,  had  been  actually,  and  in  many  cases,  realized. 
He  maintained,  nevertheless,  that  this  state  was  consist- 
ent with  all  those  wrong  "udgments  which  are  involun- 
tary and  unavoidable,  and  consequently  with  relatively 
-wrong  acts  and  affections  ;  that, we  are  continually  liable 


ON    THE    CONFESSION    OF    SIN.  277 

to  transgress  in  the  respects  which  have  been  mentioned, 
even  while  we  are  in  a  state  of  perfect  love,  and  that 
the  best  of  men  may  say  from  the  heart, 

"  Every  moment,  Lord,  I  need 
The  merit  of  thy  death." 

Under  these  circumstances,  he  thought  it  proper  and 
necessary,  that  even  persons  who,  on  evangelical  prin- 
ciples, could  justly  lay  claim  to  the  blessing  of  sanctifi- 
cation,  should  continually  humble  themselves  before  God 
and  make  confession.  This  view  seems  to  be  correct. 
"And  it  is  very  desirable,  when  we  look  at  it  in  its  prac- 
tical results,  as  well  as  in  its  moral  relations,  that  it 
should  continue  to  be  maintained,  because  it  will  con- 
stantly prompt  us  not  only  to  seek  perfection  in  love, 
which  is  the  most  important  thing,  but  to  seek  perfection 
in  manners,  habits,  health,  words,  knowledge,  and  all 
good  judgment. 

Third.  It  is  proper,  furthermore,  to  confess  our  sins, 
because  there  may  be  sins  in  us,  and  not  merely  those 
which  result  from  infirmity  and  are  involuntary,  which 
are  seen  by  the  omniscient  eye  of  God,  but  which  may 
not  be  obvious  to  ourselves.  We  have  no  doubt  that,  as 
a  general  thing,  we  may  rely  upon  our  consciousness  in 
confirmation  of  the  great  fact  of  perfection  in  love.  Cer- 
tainly it  is  a  reasonable  idea  that,  as  a  general  thing,  a 
man  may  know  in  himself,  or  in  his  own  consciousness, 
whether  he  loves  God  or  not,  and  whether  he  loves  him 
with  his  whole  heart  or  not.  At  the  same  time,  there 
may  occasionally  be  cases  in  which  he  is  left  in  some 
degree  of  doubt.  He  may,  through  the  influence  of 
some  sudden  temptation,  be  driven  so  closely  upon  the 
line  which  separates  rectitude  from  sin,  that  it  is  almost 
impossible  for  him  to  tell  whether  he  has  kept  within  it. 
The  Scriptures  also  recognize  the  great  deceitfulness  of 
the  human  heart.  Who,  then,  is  able,  either  on  philo- 
sophical or  Scripture  principles,  to  assert  absolutely  and 
unconditionally,  that  he  has  been  free  from  sin,  at  least 
for  any  great  length  of  time  ?  We  may,  therefore,  with 
24 


278  ON   THE    CONrESSION    OF    SIN. 

great  propriety,  even  if  there  were  no  other  reason  but 
this,  ask  the  forgiveness  of  our  trespasses,  of  our  sins, 
or  of  whatever  God  sees  amiss  in  us  ;  and  it  is  unques- 
tionably our  duty  so  to  do. 

We  may  add  here,  that  it  is  generally,  and  perhaps 
we  may  say  universally,  the  case,  that  those  who  give 
good  evidence  of  being  in  that  state  which  we  variously 
describe  as  assurance  of  faith  and  as  perfect  love,  and 
which  involves  the  possession  of  the  blessing  of  present 
sanctification,  speak  of  their  state  in  a  qualified  rather 
than  in  an  absolute  manner.  In  other  words,  they  gener- 
ally express  themselves  (and  it  is  exceedingly  proper  that 
they  should  do  so)  merely  as  if  they  hoped,  or  had  rea- 
son to  hope,  that  they  had  experienced  this  great  blessing, 
and  were  kept  free  from  voluntary  and  known  sin.  Such 
a  mode  of  expression  seems  to  be  unobjectionable  ;  it  is 
consistent  with  confession,  and  corresponds  to  the  pre- 
cise state  of  the  case. 

Fourth.  It  is  proper  and  important  also  to  acknowl- 
edge our  having  sinned  against  God,  and  to  humble  our- 
selves before  him  on  account  of  sin,  because  we  are 
thus  continually  reminded  of  the  unspeakable  conde- 
scension and  mercy  of  God,  as  manifested  in  the  atoning 
sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  impossible  that  a  truly 
holy  mind,  one  that  has  deeply  felt  the  living  God 
within,  should  ever  forget  the  depth  of  its  former  deg- 
ladation,  however  diff'erent  and  however  encouraging 
may  be  its  present  state.  And  whenever  it  calls  to  recol- 
lection its  former  pollution,  it  cannot  be  otherwise  than 
deeply  impressed  with  a  sense  of  the  Savior's  wonder- 
ful goodness  and  love.  May  we  not  even  conjecture, 
that  it  will  be  our  privilege  through  all  eternity  to  re- 
member and  to  confess  our  former  fallen  state  ?  Even 
in  heaven,  renewed  and  purified  as  we  shall  be,  we  shall, 
in  one  sense  at  least,  be  sinners  saved  by  grace ;  and 
shall  undoubtedly  repeat  with  joy  the  song  of  the  ran- 
somed, "  Thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  redeemed  us  to  God 
by  thy  blood  out  of  every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and 
people,  and  nation." 


ON    THE    CONFESSION    OF    SIN.  279 

With  these  considerations  we  leave  the  subject,  after 
a  single  remark  further.  While  it  is  proper  for  all  to 
make  a  confession  during  life,  it  is  nevertheless  true, 
that  the  mind  of  a  person  who  is  truly  in  a  sanctified 
state  is  chiefly  occupied  with  supplications  and  thanks- 
givings. Such  persons  may  be  said  for  the  most  part  to 
be  always  praying,  always  supplicating,  and  in  every 
thing  giving  thanks.  The  state  of  those  who  possess  this 
blessing  is  very  different  from  the  condition  of  persons 
who  have  nothing  but  their  sins  to  speak  of  Such  is 
their  peace  of  mind,  such  their  delight  in  God's  char- 
acter, such  their  sense  of  inward  purity,  such  their  con- 
formity to  God's  will,  that  their  prevalent  state  must 
necessarily  be  one  of  divine  communion  and  of  holy 
rejoicing. 


2H1 


PART   THIRD. 


INWARD   DIVINE   GUIDANCE, 


24* 


283 


CHAPTER   FIRST. 


ON   THE   DISPENSATION   OF   THE   HOLY    GHOST. 


It  is  a  scriptural,  and  I  suppose  a  generally-acknowl- 
edged fact,  that  the  world  is  now,  in  a  special  manner, 
under  the  dispensation  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  Father, 
in  conceiving  and  adopting  the  plan  of  man's  redemption, 
may  be  said,  in  relation  to  our  apprehension  of  things  in 
TIME,  to  have  reconciled  justice  and  mercy  prospectively. 
The  Son,  by  coming  into  the  world  in  accordance  with 
the  plan  of  redemption,  and  by  fulfilling,  in  his  death 
on  the  cross,  the  indispensable  conditions  of  the  plan, 
rendered  this  reconciliation  not  only  prospectively,  but 
presently  and  actually  possible.  The  office  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  among  other  things,  is  to  teach  men  ;  and  by 
teaching,  and  other  spiritual  operations,  to  induce  and 
enable  them  to  accept  and  to  realize,  in  their  own  reno- 
vated persons  and  natures,  all  the  benefits  which  the 
wisdom  of  the  Father  has  provided,  and  which  the 
voluntary  humiliation  of  the  Son  has  rendered  possible. 
The  work  of  man's  salvation,  therefore,  in  its  practical 
and  personal  application,  and  so  far  as  it  remains  uncom- 
pleted, may  be  said  to  be  under  the  direction  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  Accordingly,  when  our  Savior  left  the 
world'  he  held  the  following  language  to  his  disciples : 
"  Nevertheless,  I  tell  you  the  truth  ;  it  is  expedient  for 
you  that  I  go  away ;  for  if  I  go  not  away,  the  Comfort- 
er will  not  come  unto  you  ;  but  if  I  depart,  I  will  send 
him  unto  you.  And  when  he  is  come,  he  will  reprove 
the  world  of  sin,  and  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment," 
And  again  he  says,  "  I  have  yet  many  things  to  sav 


^84 


ON    THE    DISPENSATION 


unto  you,  but  ye  cannot  hear  them  now.  Howbeit,  when 
he,  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  is  come,  he  will  guide  you  into 
al.  truth  ;  for  he  shall  not  speak  of  himself;  but  whatso- 
ever he  shall  hear,  that  shall  he  speak ;  and  he  will 
show  you  things  to  come.  He  shall  glorify  me ;  for 
he  shall  receive  of  mine,  and  shall  show  it  unto  you." 
John  xvi.   7,  8,  12,  13,   14. 

The  Holy  Spirit,  therefore,  is  to  be  regarded  as  the 
appointed  and  effective  renovator,  guide,  comforter,  and 
teacher,  of  the  children  of  men.  In  the  moral  and  reli- 
gious world,  all  good  is  from  him  ;  and  beyond  the  reach 
of  his  influence,  and  irrespective  of  his  presence  and 
operations,  there  is  not,  and  cannot  be,  any  thing  which 
is  valuable  or  desirable.  There  are  some  reasons  for 
saying,  that  the  dispensation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  pre- 
cisely opposite  and  antagonistical,  in  its  principles  and 
results,  to  what  may  be  called  the  natural  dispensation, 
viz.,  the  law  of  the  natural  heart,  or  the  reign  of  sp:lf 
m  the  soul.  Man,  before  his  fall,  had  a  true  life  in  God. 
He  did  not  live  by  his  own  vitality,  and  flourish  upon 
his  own  stock.  The  power  of  God  possessed  its  habi- 
tation in  the  centre  of  his  soul  —  a  living,  animating, 
purifying  principle.  If  he  possessed,  as  undoubtedly  he 
did,  what  might  properly  be  denominated  natural  ability, 
it  was,  nevertheless,  natural  ability  made  alive,  inspired, 
animated,  by  an  ability  out  of  and  above  nature.  It 
was  enough  for  him  to  know,  and  rejoice  in,  the  fact  that 
God  was  the  continuance,  as  well  as  the  beginning,  of  his 
inward  life ;  that  every  good  thought  and  good  feeling, 
that  all  purified  activity  and  divine  strength,  all  holy  love 
and  all  angelic  aspirations,  were  from  God,  and  from 
God  alone.  And  his  apostasy,  as  it  seems  reasonable  to 
suppose,  consisted  in  the  alienation  and  dethronement 
of  this  inward  divine  power,  and  in  the  substitution  of 
SELF  instead  of  God.  In  the  language  of  another,  "  man 
broke  oflf  from  his  true  centre,  his  proper  place  in  God, 
and  therefore  the  life  and  operation  of  God  was  no  more 
in  him.     He  was  fallen  from  a  life  in  God  into  a  life 


OF    THE    HOLY     GHOST.  285 

of  SELF,  into  an  animal  life  of  stlf-love,  self-esteem,  and 
self-seeking  in  tlie  poor,  perishing  enjoyments  of  this 
world.  This  was  the  natural  state  of  man  by  the 
Fall.  He  was  an  apostate  from  God,  and  his  natural 
life  was  all  idolatry,  where  self  was  the  great  idol 
that  was  worshipped  instead  of  God."* 

The  object,  therefore,  of  Christ's  coming  into  the 
world,  was  to  place  men  essentially  in  the  condition  in 
which  they  were  before  the  Fall  —  not  only  to  secure 
their  forgiveness,  but  to  make  them  holy ;  not  only  to 
make  them  holy,  but  to  make  them  so  in  the  only  way 
in  which  Adam  or  any  other  bv^ng  was  ever  made  holy, 
viz.,  by  means  of  the  living  and  constant  operation  of 
God  in  the  soul.     Hence  the  necessity  of  the  dispensa- 

ion  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Hence  the  various  directions 
which  are  given  in  the  Scriptures  not  to  grieve  and  not 
to  quench  the  Holy  Spirit.  Hence  the  declaration,  that 
Christians  are  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  ac- 
cordingly it  is  a  great  truth,  though  but  imperfectly  un- 
derstood and  estimated,  that  he  who  moves  and  acts, 
in  religious  things,  without  the  attendant  operation  and 
grace  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  cannot  be  spiritually  wise,  and 
is  not  in  the  way  to  be  spiritually  benefited. 

(H.)  The  object  of  that  peculiar  state  of  things,  which 
may  with  some  good  reason  be  described  as  the  dispen- 
sation of  the  Holy  Ghost,  Avill  not  be  completely  real- 
ized till  all  Christians  are  filled  with  the  presence  and  the 
operations  of  this  Divine  Agent.  And  why  should  not 
Christians  of  the  present  day  experience  this  great  inward 
result,  as  well  as  those  of  the  primitive  ages  ?  It  was 
said  of  John  the  Baptist,  even  before  his  birth,  "  and  he 
shall  be  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost."  It  is  related  both 
of  his  mother  Elizabeth,  and  of  his  father  Zachariah,  that 
"  they  were  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost."  The  apostle 
Peter  and  the  martyr  Stephen  are  described  as  being,  in 

ike  manner,  "full  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  The  disciples, 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  are  said  to  have  been  "  filled 

*  Law's  Spirit  of  Prayer,  Part  1.  chap.  Q 


286  ON    THE    DISPENSATION 

with  the  Holy  Ghost."  Similar  language  is  applied  to 
the  Savior :  And  Jesus,  "  being  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost," 
returned  from  Jordan,  and  was  led  by  the  Spirit  into  the 
wilderness.  The  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  is 
repeatedly  spoken  of,  probably  means,  in  some  places,  if 
not  in  all,  the  same  thing  with  being  filled  with  the 
Holy  Ghost. 

In  the  times  of  the  apostles,  miraculous  powers  were 
connected  with  the  descent  and  the  fulness  of  the  Spirit's 
operations.  The  gift  of  these  powers  seems  to  have  had 
special  reference  to  the  circumstances  of  the  times,  a.nd 
to  have  been  temporary.  But  the  infinitely  greater 
blessing,  the  crowning  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  — that  of 
imparting  to  the  soul  the  grace  of  assured  or  perfect  faith, 
and  the  attendant  grace  of  perfect  love,  —  still  remains. 
Now,  if  the  Holy  Ghost  came  into  the  world  to  dwell 
with  men,  to  take  up  his  abode  with  them,  and  to  teach 
them  ;  if  he  came  to  inspire  within  them  the  highest  pos- 
sible faith  and  love,  and  to  procure  to  them  the  highest 
possible  purity  and  peace,  then  it  seems  to  me  that  the 
object  of  the  dispensation  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  not,  and 
cannot  be,  completely  realized  till  it  can  be  said  of  all 
Christians,  as  it  was  said  anciently,  that  they  are  men 
full  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Till  this  is  done,  there  is  a 
resistance  in  the  heart  proceeding  from  the  remaining 
life  of  self,  and  from  the  inspiration  and  artifices  of  Satan 
which  ought  not  to  be.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  ready,  not 
only  to  adv^ance,  but  entirely  to  accomplish,  the  inward 
work,  whenever  the  people  of  God  are  prepared,  with 
childlike  simplicity  of  spirit,  and  without  any  reservation, 
to  undergo  his  sharply-searching  and  purifying  agency. 
It  is  the  spirit  of  self,  showing  itself  in  the  forms  of  dis- 
trust and  resistance,  which  obstructs  this  faithful  but 
friendly  operation;  which  grieves  the  Spirit,  and  pre- 
vents his  purifying  the  heart  with  the  waters  of  the  inte- 
rior baptism.  Let  the  followers  of  Christ  ponder  \ve\\ 
these  important  truths.  Let  them  strive  to  keep  in 
mind,  that  they  can  do  nothing  weL,  in  the  moral  and 
religious  sense  of  the  terms,  which,  is  not  prompted  by 


or    THE    HOLY    GHC  ST.  287 

the  presence  and  suggestions  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  and 
certainly  that  they  cannot  do  all  things  well,  bringing 
every  emotion  and  passion  into  subjection,  and  walking 
always  in  the  commandment  of  faith  and  love,  without 
being  ^^ filled,''''  as  the  Scriptures  express  it,  with  his  effi- 
cacious agency. 

(III.)  An  inquiry  may  arise  here,  In  what  manner 
does  the  Holy  Spirit  operate  in  individual  hearts?  In 
relation  to  the  subject  involved  in  this  inquiry,  it  does 
not  appear  that  any  specific  and  certain  rule  can  be  laid 
down.  The  methods  of  the  divine  operation  appear  to 
be  one  of  the  secret  things  which  are  hidden  with  God. 
Accordingly,  the  Holy  Spirit,  so  far  as  his  method  or 
manner  of  his  influences  is  concerned,  operates  diflerent- 
ly  in  different  cases.  "  The  wind  bloweth  where  it  list- 
eth,  and  thou  hearest  the  sound  thereof,  but  canst  not  tell 
whence  it  cometh  and  whither  it  goeth.  So  is  every 
one  that  is  born  of  the  Spirit."  He  sometimes  comes 
with  sudden  and  almost  visible  efficacy,  and  produces  his 
results  with  "observation."  But,  still  more  frequently, 
as  it  seems  to  us,  he  comes  as  a  ••  still  small  voice,"  and 
operates  in  a  secret  and  silent  manner ;  but  with  no  dim- 
inution of  effective  power  and  of  inward  purification. 

"  If  the  Lord  be  pleased,"  says  Mr.  Fletcher,  "  to  come 
softly  to  thy  help  ;  if  he  make  an  end  of  thy  corruption 
by  helping  thee  gently  to  sink  to  unknown  depths  of 
meekness  ;  if  he  drown  the  indwelling  man  of  sin,  by 
baptizing,  by  plunging  him  into  an  abyss  of  humility,  — 
do  not  find  fault  with  the  simplicity  of  his  method,  the 
plainness  of  his  appearing,  and  the  commonness  of  his 
prescription.  Nature,  like  Naaman,  is  full  of  prejudices. 
She  expects  that  Christ  will  come  to  make  her  clean 
with  as  much  ado,  pomp,  and  bustle,  as  the  Syrian  gen- 
eral looked  for  '  when  he  was  wroth  and  said.  Behold,  I 

thought.  He  will  surely  come  out  to  me and  stand 

and  call  on  his  God and  strike  his  hand  over 

the  place and  recover  the  leper.'     Christ  frequently 

goes  a  much  plainer  way  to  work,  and  by  this  means  he 
disconcerts  all  our  preconceived  notions  and  schemes  o^ 


288  ON    THE    DISPENSATION 

deliverance.  '  Learn  of  me  to  be  meek  and  lowly  of 
heart,  and  thou  shalt  find  rest  to  thy  soul.'  Instead 
therefore,  of  going  away  from  a  pl^in  Jesus  in  a  rage, 
welcome  him  in  his  lowest  appearance,  and  be  persuaded 
that  he  can  as  easily  make  an  end  of  thy  sin,  by  gently 
coming  in  'a  still  small  voice,'  as  by  rushing  in  upon 
thee  in  '  a  storm,  a  fire,  or  an  earthquake.'  "  * 

(IV.)  At  this  place  in  our  remarks,  another  inquny 
naturally  arises  —  How  shall  a  person  know,  since  the 
modes  of  the  Spirit's  interior  action  are  so  various,  when 
he  experiences  the  full  or  completed  presence  and  oper- 
ations of  this  Divine  Agent  ?  A  proper  answer,  so  far  as 
it  goes,  would  perhaps  be,  that  this  can  be  known  only  by 
the  results  of  such  divine  presence  and  agency.  These 
results,  in  their  entire  length  and  breadth,  we  will  not 
attempt  to  analyze  at  the  present  time  ;  but  will  only 
go  so  far  now  as  to  say,  that  one  of  the  most  decisive 
marks  of  the  presence  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  its  fulness, 
is  a  resigned  and  peaceful  state  of  the  spirit,  originating 
in  perfect  faith  in  God.  In  the  precise  state  of  mind  to 
which  we  now  have  reference,  there  seems  to  be  an  en- 
tire subsidence  or  withdrawal  of  that  natural  excitability 
which  is  so  troublesome  to  the  Christian ;  and  instead 
of  the  eager  and  unsettled  activity  of  nature,  the  substi- 
tution of  a  pure  and  deeply-interior  rest  of  the  soul,  such 
as  was  seen  in  our  Savior,  and  resembling,  on  the  small 
scale  of  man's  limited  spirituality,  the  sublime  and  pas- 
sionless tranquillity  of  God. 

Undoubtedly  there  are  other  important  marks,  charac- 
teristic of  the  inward  fulness  of  the  divine  power.  But 
this,  if  it  he  rightly  understood^  may  be  regarded  as  the 
highest  result  of  the  divine  operation  upon  the  human 
mind.  It  is  not,  therefore,  merely  the  Christian  whose 
mental  exercises  are  characterized  by  traits  that  are  cal- 
culated to  excite  outward  observation,  that  is  filled  with 
the  Holy  Ghost,  to  the  exclusion  of  others.  Still  more 
frequently  is  this  fulness  experienced  in  the  hearts  of 

*  Fletcher's  Works,  vol.  il.  p.  G.'iO, 


OF    THE     HOLY    GHOST.  289 

those  who  sit  in  solitary  places,  unknown  to  the  world  ; 
who  live,  in  the  secrecy  of  their  spirits,  with  God  alone  ; 
and  of  whom  the  multitude  around  them,  ignorant  of  the 
interior  power  which  dwells  in  their  souls,  know  only 
this  —  that  they  perform  the  religious  and  temporal  duties 
of  life  with  fidelity  and  gratitude,  and  endure  its  trials 
and  sorrows  with  silence  and  submission.  We  would  not 
have  it  understood,  iiowever,  as  these  remarks  might  seem 
to  imply,  that  persons  in  this  calmly  peaceful  and  tri- 
umphant state  of  mind,  are  destitute  of  feeling.  Far 
from  it.  They  have  feeling  ;  but  it  is  regulated  feeling 
—  perfect  in  degree,  but  symmetrical  in  all  its  relations  ; 
and  therefore  resulting  in  that  angelic  aspect  of  religious 
experience  which  has  been  indicated.  And  the  expla- 
nation is  this :  Every  emotion  is  so  perfectly  adapted  to 
Its  appropriate  object  ;  every  desire  and  affection  is  kept 
.so  perfectly  in  its  position  ;  every  voHtion  moves  so 
surely  and  strongly  towards  the  goal  of  perfect  recti- 
tude ;  all  worldly  tendencies  and  attachments,  all  hopes 
and  fears,  all  joys  and  sorrows,  are  so  completely  merged 
in  the  overruling  principle  of  supreme  love  to  God,  —  a 
principle  which  makes  all  of  God  and  nothing  of  the 
creature,  —  that  the  result  is,  and  of  necessity  must  be 
inward  quietude  — 

"  The  peaceful  calm  within  the  breast, 
The  dearest  pledge  of  glorioas  rest." 

25 


290 


CHAPTER    SECOND. 


THE  PROVIDENCES  OF  GOD  CONSIDERED  AS  INTER 
PRETERS  OF  THE  INWARD  OPERATIONS  OF  THE 
HOLY    SPIRIT. 

We  propose,  in  the  present  chapter,  to  enter  upon  a 
subject  which  may  justly  be  regarded  as  one  of  especial 
importance  and  interest.  The  proposition  which  we 
lay  down,  and  which  we  design  to  illustrate,  is  the  fol- 
lowing, viz. :  We  cannot^  as  a  general  thing,  arrive  at 
the  true  interpretation  and  impoi't  of  the  inicard  sugges- 
tions of  the  Holy  Spirit,  except  by  connecting  them  tvith, 
and  considering  them  in  their  relation  to,  God's  out- 
ivard  providences. 

Our  first  inquiry  is,  what  we  are  to  understand  by  the 
providences  of  God.  In  answering  this  question,  it  does 
not  seem  to  be  necessary,  for  any  purposes  we  have  at 
present  in  view,  to  go  into  the  distinction,  which  is  fre- 
quently and  very  properly  made,  of  the  ordinary  or  com- 
mon providence  of  God,  viz.,  that  which  is  exercised 
in  connection  with  secondary  causes,  and  in  the  common 
course  of  things ;  and  of  the  extraordinary  providence  of 
God,  or  that  which  is  altogether  out  of  the  common  way, 
and  has  the  nature  of  a  miraculous  operation.  Saying 
nothing  of  extraordinary  providences,  we  apprehend  that 
there  is  no  ordinary  or  common  providence  of  God  of 
such  a  nature  as  to  exclude  him  from  an  actual  presence 
and  supervision  in  relation  to  all  things  whatever.  It  is 
enough  for  us  to  know  that  the  hand  of  God  is,  either 
positively  or  permissively,  in  every  thing.  In  our  appre- 
hension, therefore,  all  events  (excepting  such  as  involve 
the  commission  of  sin,  and  even  these  are  to  be  regarded 


OF    THE    OPERATIONS    OF    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.         291 

as  permissively  providential)  are  to  be  considered  as 
providential  in  the  positive  sense  of  the  term.  In  other 
words,  whatever  takes  place — sin  only  excepted — is  to 
be  regarded  as  expressive,  in  some  important  and  positive 
sense,  of  the  will  of  the  Lord.  The  controlling  presence 
of  the  Almighty  is  there.  God  is  in  it.  Certainly,  there 
is  abundant  foundation  for  this  view.  If  God  clothes 
the  grass  of  the  field,  if  not  a  sparrow  falls  to  the  ground 
without  his  notice,  if  the  very  hairs  of  our  heads  are 
numbered,  how  can  it  be  otherwise  ?  It  seems  to  us, 
therefore,  that  every  true  Christian  ought  to  see.  and  will 
see,  God  providentially  and  positively  present,  with  the 
exception  which  has  just  been  made,  in  the  events  of 
every  passing  moment. 

We  remark,  in  the  second  place,  that  the  presence 
and  agency  of  God,  in  his  providences,  is  not  an  acci- 
dental thing,  but  is  a  result  which  has  reference  to  the 
divine  wisdom  and  choice.  Whatever  takes  place,  with 
the  exception  of  sin,  is  not  only  a  portion  in  the  great 
series  of  events,  but  takes  place  in  accordance  with  the 
well-considered  and  divinely-ordered  arrangement  or 
plan  of  things.  Accordingly,  every  thing  which  takes 
place  indicates,  all  things  considered,  the  mind  of  God 
in  that  particular  thing.  And  hence  we  may  be  said  to 
reach,  through  the  divine  providences,  a  portion  of  the 
divine  mind,  and  to  become  acquainted  with  it.  We 
do  not  mean  to  say  that  we  possess,  in  respect  to  that 
particular  thing,  the  whole  of  the  divine  wisdom  ;  but 
we  undoubtedly  possess  a  portion  of  it  which  is  un- 
speakably valuable.  To  some  extent,  certainly,  it  can 
always  be  said,  that  God  reveals  himself;  that  is  to 
say,  he  leveals  his  mind  and  will. 

We  proceed  to  remark  again,  and  in  connection  with 
what  has  been  said,  that  the  providences  of  God  are, 
to  a  considerable  extent,  the  interpreters  of  the  mind  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  The  mind  of  God,  as  it  is  disclosed 
m  his  providences,  and  the  mind  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as 
it  reveals  itself  in  the  soul,  are  one  ;  and  consequently, 
in  their  different  developments,  from  time  to  time,  can 


292   THE  PROVIDENCES  OF  GOD  AS  INTERPRETER^ 

never  be  at  variance,  but  will  always  be  in  harmony, 
with  each  other.  And  not  only  this,  —  they  have  a 
relation  to  each  other,  which  is  mutually  and  positively 
illuminative.  They  throw  light,  the  one  upon  the 
other.  Certain  it  is  that  the  mind  of  the  Spirit,  in  all 
cases  of  mere  practical  action  and  duty,  cannot,  as  a 
general  thing,  be  clearly  and  definitely  ascertained, 
except  in  connection  with  providential  dispensations. 
Such  dispensations  are  the  outward  light,  which  cor- 
responds to  and  throws  a  reflex  illumination  upon  the 
inward  light.  And  this  is  so  general  a  law  of  the  divine 
operation,  that  persons  who  are  truly  led  by  the  Spirit 
of  God  are  generally,  and  perhaps  always,  found  to  keep 
an  open  eye  upon  the  divine  providences,  as  important 
and  true  interpreters  of  the  inward  spiritual  leadings. 
And  accordingly  we  find  the  following  expressions  in 
the  Life  of  Madame  Guyon :  "  My  soul  could  not 
incline  itself  on  the  one  side  or  the  other,  since  that 
another  will  had  taken  the  place  of  its  own  ;  but  only 
nourished  itself  luith  the  daily  providences  of  God.'^ 
And  again  :  "  The  order  of  Divine  Providence  makes  the 
whole  rule  and  conduct  of  a  soul  entirely  devoted  to 
God.  While  it  faithfully  gives  itself  up  thereto,  it  will 
do  all  things  right  and  well,  and  will  have  every  thing 
It  wants,  without  its  own  care  ;  because  God,  in  whom 
it  confides,  makes  it  every  moment  do  what  he  requires 
God  loves  what  is  of  his  own  order."  * 

Hardly  any  thing,  in  the  conduct  of  the  divine  life  in 
the  soul,  is  more  important  than  thus  to  keep  an  open 
and  faithful  eye  upon  the  arrangements  of  Divine  Provi- 
dence. Until  the  divine  intimations  within  are  cleared 
up  and  illustrated  by  the  subsequent  openings  of  Prov- 
idence, it  seems  to  me  to  be  the  duty  of  Christians  to 
remain  in  the  attitude  of  patient  expectation,  and  of 
humble  and  quiet  faith.  It  is  true,  we  may  already  be 
possessed  of  the  inward  voice,  the  declarations  of  th(5 
Spirit  in  the  soul.     But  these  inward  intimations,  taken 

*  I^fe  of  Madame  Guyon,  Pt.  I,  chap.  27;  Ft   f     chap   2. 


OF    THE    OPERATIONS      )F    THE     HOLY    SPIRIT.  293 

by  themselves,  may,  ui  many  cases,  be  very  obscure  • 
and  so  long  as  we  do  not  satisfactorily  know  the  infor- 
mation involved  in  tliem,  and  the  issues  to  which  they 
lead,  it  is  obviously  a  duty  to  keep  looking  upward, 
in  a  childlike  simplicity  and  faith,  for  those  further 
developments  which  the  openings  of  Divine  Provi- 
dence* may  impart. 

I  have  sometimes  thought  that  there  is  a  similitude, 
or  analogy,  between  the  natural  mind  and  the  spiritual 
mind,  in  relation  to  the  subject  now  under  consider- 
ation.    The  natural  mind  (that  is  to  say,  the  perceptive 
and  reflective  ability   which  is  naturally  given   us)  is 
adapted  in  its  operations  and  results  to  the  natural  world 
around  us.     The  ability  which  we   possess  of  realizing 
in   ourselves   the   various  auditory,  visual,  and  tactual 
sensations  and  perceptions  would  be  of  no  avail,  would 
be  practically  useless,  without  the  corresponding  sounds, 
colors,  and  forms,  of  the  external   world.     The  mind, 
therefore,  in  some  of  its  important  operations,  and  the 
external  world,  are  precisely  and  admirably  fitted  to  go 
together.     They  are  practically  the  mutual  correspond- 
ences   and  counterparts  of  each  other.     And  it  seems 
to  be  essentially  the  same  with  the  spiritual  mind  ;  that 
is  to  say,  with  the  mind  enlightened  and  guided  by  the 
influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit.     The  mind  is  divinely 
inspired,  in  the  first  instance,  with  thoughts  and  views 
which  may  be  considered  as  conditionally  instructive 
and  binding  upon  us ;  but  which  can  be  drawn  out  of 
this    state    of  conditionality,  and    be    made    positively 
clear  and  binding,  only  in  connection  with  those  various 
outward  events  which  the  divine  providence  is  contin- 
ually developing.     As  instruments  of  music  will  not  give 
utterance  to  their  beautiful  sounds  till  they  are  touched 
and  swept  by  an  outward  hand,  so  the  inward  inspiration 
of  the    Holy  Ghost    is    to    some    extent  latent  in  the 
mind,  and  is  not  susceptible  of  being  distinctly  analyzed 
and  heard  in  its  responses  to  the  spiritual  ear,  until  it 
receives  its  interpretation  from  the  outward  application 
of  providential  events.     In  other  words,  as  the  natural 
2.5* 


294       THE    I'll  )V1DENCES    OF    GOD    AS    INTERPRETERS 

mind,  and  the  natural  or  outward  world,  are  mutually 
and  reciprocally  adapted,  so  also  the  spiritual  mind  and 
the  providential  world  are  mutually  correspondences 
and  counterparts  of  each  other. 

Accordingly,  although  a  person  may  be  fully  conscious 
of  the  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  operatmg  upon  and 
guiding  his  mind,  still  it  remains  a  great  truth,  that  it  is 
a  guidance  which,  in  some  important  sense,  may  be  re- 
garded as  dependent  on  those  prospective  developments 
which  still  remain  in  God's  mysterious  keeping.  Hence, 
as  the  interpretation  of  the  inward  suggestions  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  exists,  in  so  great  a  degree,  in  the  correspond- 
ent facts  and  aspects  of  outward  providences,  it  becomes 
every  one,  as  has  already  been  intimated,  and  especially 
every  one  who  is  seeking  to  live  a  truly  devoted  and 
holy  life,  to  keep  an  eye  humbly  but  conscientiously 
watchful  upon  all  providential  events !  As  in  the  ex- 
pressions which  have  already  been  quoted,  he  should 
"  nourish  himself  with  the  daily  providences  of  God." 

In  connection  with  the  doctrine  which  has  been  laid 
down,  a  few  incidental  remarks  remain.  And  the  first 
is,  that  this  doctrine  strikes  at  the  root  of  too  great 
eagerness  of  spirit,  and  of  all  inordinate  self-activity. 
He  who  would  walk  with  God  must  walk  in  God's 
order.  God  not  only  requires  us  to  obey  and  serve  him, 
hut  to  obey  and  serve  him  in  his  own  time  a^id  way. 
In  the  eye  of  God,  voluntary  disobedience  in  the  mantier 
of  the  thing,  is  the  same  as  disobedience  in  the  thing 
itself.  If,  therefore,  in  order  to  walk  with  God,  we  must 
walk  in  God's  order,  and  must  operate  with  him  in  his 
own  time  and  way,  it  will  be  necessary  for  us  to  subdue 
our  natural  eagerness  and  impetuosity  of  spirit. 

Again,  this  doctrine  is  totally  opposed  to  the  indul- 
gence of  an  inactive  and  sluggish  spirit.  He  who  is  se- 
riously disposed  to  meet  every  mo v^ement  of  God's  prov- 
idence in  the  fulfilment  of  every  known  duty,  will 
find  no  time  to  be  idly  and  uselessly  thrown  away. 
Every  moment,  as  it  comes,  brings  with  it  its  appropriate 
instructions,  and  (^alls  for  its  appropriate  duties.     It  does 


OF    THE    OPERATIONS    OF    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.         295 

not  always  call  for  outward  action;  but  it  calls  for 
something  to  be  done.  It  does  not  always,  nor  does  it 
ever,  call  for  a  feverish  and  unreflecting  excitement ; 
but,  on  the  other  hand,  it  never  approves  a  listless  and 
unprofitable  inactivity.  Nevertheless,  every  moment 
brings  its  duty,  although  not  always  to  be  fulfilled  in 
the  same  manner.  That  duty  may  be  outward  action  ; 
or  it  may  be  inward  retirement  and  conversation  W4th 
God.  It  may  relate  to  the  improvement  of  others;  or 
it  may  have  relation  to  the  instruction  and  improvement 
of  ourselves.  It  may  call  us  to  open  and  aggressive 
assaults  upon  the  strongholds  of  sin  ;  or  to  the  secrecy 
of  the  closet  and  the  sacredness  of  private  supplication. 

Finally,  in  view  of  what  has  been  said,  we  may  lay 
it  down  as  a  great  principle  in  the  practical  doctrines  of 
holiness,  that  a  soul  wholly  devoted  to  God  will  always 
endeavor  to  move  calmly,  yet  firmly  and  exactly,  in  the 
blessed  order  of  the  divine  providences  —  neither  pre- 
maturely and  excitedly  hastening  in  advance,  nor  yet 
sluggishly  and  carelessly  lagging  behind. 

And  this  truth,  be  it  ever  remembered,  is  one  of  the 
'eading  elementary  conceptions  embraced  in  the  great 
and  glorious  idea  of  walking  with  God.  It  is  noticed 
by  writers  on  philosophical  subjects,  that  some  sorts  of 
motion  are  pleasant  and  beautiful  to  the  beholder,  whil 
others  are  not  so.  And  they  assert  further,  that  objects  in 
motion  are  thus  beautiful,  (for  instance,  a  winding  stream 
or  a  ship  under  gentle  sail,)  partly,  at  least,  because  they 
are  in  harmony  with  the  laws  of  our  own  mental  move- 
ment. But  where  the  outward  motion,  which  we  are 
contemplating,  is  accelerated  beyond  a  certain  degree 
of  rapidity,  so  as  to  be  out  of  correspondence  with  the 
natural  movement  of  our  own  minds,  it  at  once  ceases 
to  be  pleasant  and  beautiful,  and  becomes  painful  ;  and 
so,  on  the  other  hand,  when  the  motion  becomes  unu- 
sually sluggish  and  tardy,  so  as  to  fall  in  the  rear  of  the 
movement  of  our  own  minds,  and  retard  it,  it  then  also 
loses  its  character  of  beauty.  And  it  is  somewhat  sim- 
ilar in  relation  to  the  providences  of  God.     When  the 


*2y6  OF    IHE    OPERATIONS    OF    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

inward  operation  of  the  holy  soul  keeps  in  exact  corre- 
spondence with  the  progress  of  God's  providences,  mov- 
ing in  time  and  place  just  where  he  moves,  then  all  is 
orderly  and  divinely  beautiful.  But  when,  through  un- 
faithfulness to  God's  grace,  we  are  jostled  out  of  the 
divine  order,  either  by  going  in  advance  through  pre- 
cipitancy, or  falling  in  the  rear  through  worldly  sloth, 
we  are  no  longer  conscious  of  this  divine  harmony  and 
beauty.  Under  such  circumstances  we  necessarily  lose, 
in  a  considerable  degree,  the  sense  of  God's  presence 
and  favor,  and,  wandering  in  our  own  position,  and  out 
of  the  divine  position,  we  experience  but  little  else  thap 
darkness  and  sorrow. 


297 


CHAPTER   THIRD. 

SUGGESTIONS    TO  AID   IN    SECURING    THE    GUIDANOfc 
OF   THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 


One  of  the  most  important  questions  which  can  occu- 
py the  minds  of  those  who  wish  to  experience  the 
reality  of  tlie  interior  spiritual  life,  vi  —  In  what  manner 
can  we  most  certainly  secure  the  ev(-r-present  and  guid- 
ing influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit?  We  learn  from  the 
Scriptures,  that  those  who  are  the  sons  of  God  are  led 
by  the  Spirit  of  God.  And  a  woe  is  expressly  denounced 
against  those  "  foolish  prophets  that  follow  their  own 
SPIRIT."  *  The  facts  of  individual  experience,  in  relation 
to  the  subject  of  a  divme  guidance,  abundantly  confirm 
the  truth  of  the  scriptural  declarations.  "  Though  this 
secret  direction  of  the  Almighty,"  says  Sir  Matthew 
Hale,  who  was  distmguished  as  a  Christian  as  well  as  a 
scholar  and  a  judge,  "is  principally  seen  in  matters 
relating  to  the  good  of  the  soul,  yet  even  in  the  con- 
cerns of  this  life,  a  good  man,  fearing  God,  and  begging 
his  direction,  will  very  often,  if  not  at  all  times,  find  it. 
T  can  call  my  own  experience  to  witness,  that  even  in  the 
temporal  affairs  of  my  whole  life,  I  have  never  been  dis- 
appointed of  the  best  direction  when  I  have,  in  humility 
and  sincerity,  implored  it."  And  I  think  we  may  mi- 
doubtedly  regard  it  as  a  great  truth,  ever  to  be  kept  in  re- 
membrance, that  the  true  children  of  God,  so  far  as  they 
live  acceptably  to  him,  are  guided  by  the  Spirit  of  God. 
This  great  truth,  that,  as  followers  of  God,  it  is  our 
privilege  and  duty  to  be  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  may 
be  realized  continually  in  our  personal  experience,  as  ii 

*  Ezek.  xiii.  3. 


298  SU(  GESTIOiNS    TO    AID    IN    SECURING 

seems  to  us,  in  connection  with  a  few  simple  but  funda- 
mental conditions. 

I.  In  the  first  place,  we  cannot  reasonably  expect  to 
be  guided  by  the  Spirit,  unless  we  desire  it.  And  if 
we  expect  a  continuance  of  this  guidance,  the  desire 
must  be  permanent  and  strong.  It  would  be  extremely 
absurd  to  suppose  that  the  Holy  Spirit  will  condescend 
to  dwell  with  us,  if  we  have  no  desire  for  it,  or  if  we 
have  not  a  permanent  and  strong  desire.  But  we  can- 
not suppose  that  those  who  aim  after  holiness  of  heart 
are  without  this  desire  ;  and  therefore  we  do  not  con- 
sider it  necessary  to  dwell  upon  this  point. 

II.  In  order  to  realize  this  great  blessing,  we  must 
have  faith  in  God,  that  he  will  do  for  us  the  thing  which 
we  ask.  To  desire  of  God  without  having  faith  in 
the  Giver,  is  nearly  as  effectual  a  way  to  defeat  the 
object  of  our  request,  as  to  be  without  desire.  But  on 
this  point  also  we  will  not  delay.  Who  can  be  ignorant 
that  one  of  the  first  elements  in  the  life  of  holiness  is 
the  doctrine  of  faith?  "  Without  faith  it  is  impossible 
to  please  God."  How  can  it  be  possible,  then,  without 
faith,  to  receive  the  blessing  of  the  Holy  Spirit  ? 

III.  Besides  those  which  have  been  mentioned,  there 
is  another  condition  necessary  to  be  realized,  in  order  to 
have  the  guiding  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit  always 
with  us  ;  namely,  we  must  cease  from  our  natural  ac- 
tivity. We  do  not  mean  to  say  that  we  must  be  inac- 
tive ;  that  we  must  be  wholly  and  absolutely  without 
mental  movement ;  but  merely  and  precisely  that  we 
must  cease  from  the  activity  of  nature.  In  other  words, 
ceasing  from  self  and  from  its  turbulent  and  deceitful 
elements,  and,  as  a  consequence  of  this,  ceasing  to  place 
ourselves  and  our  personal  interests  foremost,  we  must 
keep  our  own  plans,  purposes,  and  aims,  in  entire  sub- 
jection. For  instance,  when  we  ask  God  to  guide  us, 
we  must  not  at  the  same  time  cherish  in  our  hearts  a 
secret  determination  and  hope  to  guide  ourselves  ;  just 
as  some  persons  •foolishly,  and  almost  Avickedly,  ask  the 
advice  of  their  neighbors,  when  they  have  already  fully 


THE    GUIDANCE    OF    THE     HOLY    SPIRIT.  291) 

decided  in  their  own  minds  upon  their  future  course  of 
action.  If  we  would  have  our  desires  of  being  continually- 
guided  by  the  Holy  Spirit  fully  realized,  we  must  not  only 
give  up  our  personal  and  self-interested  plans  and  pur- 
poses, submitting  every  thing  into  God's  hands  with  entire 
childlike  simplicity,  but  it  is  important  also  not  to  give 
way  to  uneasy,  agitated,  and  excited  feelings.  The  ex- 
istence of  undue  eagerness  and  excitement  of  spirit  is 
an  evidence  that  we  are,  in  some  degree,  afraid  to  trust 
God,  and  that  we  are  still  too  much  under  the  influ- 
ence of  the  life  of  nature  ;  so  that  to  cease  from  the 
activity  of  nature,  when  properly  understood,  seems  to 
be  nothing  more  nor  less  than  to  cease  from  the  spirit  of 
self-wisdom,  self-seeking,  and  self-guidance,  and  thus 
to  remain  in  submissive  and  peaceful  simplicity  and  dis- 
engagement of  spirit,  in  order  that  God  may  enter  in, 
and  may  guide  us  by  the  wisdom  of  his  own  divine 
inspiration. 

It  may  be  proper  to  add  here,  that  the  view  which 
lias  now  been  expressed  is  entirely  consistent  with  the 
exercise  of  our  powers  of  perception  and  reflection.  A 
cessation  from  our  natural  activity,  in  the  sense  which 
has  been  explained,  is  not  only  consistent  with,  but  it 
is  evidently  favorable  to,  a  just  exercise  of  these  powers. 
They  will  be  found  at  such  times  to  be  free  from 
erroneous  and  disturbing  influences,  and  to  possess  a 
clearer  insight  into  the  truth. 

IV.  In  order  to  secure  the  continual  presence  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  we  must  not  only  fulfil  the  condition  of 
ceasing  from  the  self-interested  activity  of  nature  ;  we 
must  not  only  believe  in  God's  truth  and  faithfulness  to 
his  promises,  attended  with  a  sincere  desire  for  the  bless- 
ing under  consideration  ;  but  when  we  ask  under  such 
circumstances,  it  is  our  privilege  and  duty  to  believe 
Chat  we  now  have  the  thing  which  we  ask  for.  If,  for 
instance,  in  true  detachment  and  simplicity  of  spirit, 
and  with  a  sincere  desire  for  the  object,  we  seek  the 
divine  wisdom,  which  is  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to 
guide  us  in  some  difficult  case  of  duty,  we  are  bound. 


300  SUGGESTIONS    TO    AID    IN    SECURING 

on  the  principles  of  Scripture,  to  believe  (provided,  fur- 
ther, that  we  exercise  all  our  powers  of  perception  and 
reasoning  applicable  to  the  case)  that  we  do  now  have 
all  that  wisdom  which  God  sees  to  be  necessary  for  us. 
Accordingly,  we  are  not  at  liberty,  in  the  spirit  of  dis- 
trust towards  God,  to  go  about  to  seek  some  new  natural 
light  to  see  our  spiritual  wisdom  with.  Such  wisdom, 
resting,  in  its  origin,  upon  the  immutable  promise  of  God, 
—  a  promise  which  is  fulfilled  in  connection  with  the  ex- 
ercise of  faith,  —  is,  for  the  most  part,  hidden  from  all 
forms  of  sight  on  the  part  of  the  creature,  except  one. 
That  is  to  say,  as  it  has  its  origin  in  connection  with 
the  operations  of  faith,  and  cannot  exist  except  in  that 
connection,  so  it  is  visible,  in  general,  only  to  the  eye  of 
faith.  It  seems  very  evident,  under  the  circumstances, 
and  in  the  fulfilment  of  the  conditions  which  have 
been  mentioned,  that  we  should  do  wrong,  we  should 
sin  against  God,  not  to  believe  in  the  actual  possession 
of  the  thing  which  had  been  interceded  for.  It  would 
evidently  be  a  case  of  unbelief  ;  and  unbelief  can 
never  be  accounted  otherwise  than  a  great  sin.  It  is  in 
accordance  with  this  view,  that  we  find  the  following 
expressions  in  the  First  Epistle  of  John,  v.  14,  15  : 
"  And  this  is  the  confidence  that  we  have  in  him,  that 
if  we  ask  any  thing  according  to  his  will,  he  heareth  us  ; 
and  if  ice  know  that  he  hear  us,  luhatsoever  we  ask,  tve 
know  that  we  have  the  petitions  that  ive  desired  of  him. ^^ 
In  conclusion,  we  would  remark,  that  in  yielding  our- 
selves up  to  the  divine  direction  under  such  circum- 
stances as  have  been  mentioned,  we  not  only  have  the 
guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  I  think  we  are  not 
exposed  to  those  illusions  and  mistakes  which  might 
otherwise  be  likely  to  befall  us.  Indeed,  it  is  hardly 
too  much  to  say,  that  we  may  be  sure  of  being  kept  in 
the  right  path  at  such  times.  The  state  of  mind  which 
we  have  described  is  not  only  one  of  earnest  desire  and 
strong  faith,  but,  as  it  seems  to  us,  of  true  meekness 
And  we  are  told  in  the  Scriptures,  "  The  meek  will  he 
guide  in  judgment,  and  the  meek  will  he  teach  his  way." 


THE    GUIU\NCE     OF    THE     HOLY    SPIRIT.  50  J 

Ps.  XXV.  9.  It  is  the  opinion  of  Fenelon,  who  seems 
to  have  had  a  personal  experience  of  the  divine  opera- 
tion deeply  interior,  that  in  the  moments  of  mental 
quietness  and  of  recollection  in  God,  —  in  other  words, 
when  we  look  to  God  in  a  state  of  cessation  from 
our  natural  activity,  —  we  should  not  hesitate  to  follow 
the  interior  impulses  and  attractions  of  the  soul ;  mean- 
ing to  be  understood,  undoubtedly,  that  if  we  believ- 
ingly  ask  for  divine  guidance  in  such  a  state  of  mind, 
the  attraction  or  tendency  of  the  soul,  which  then 
exists,  cannot  be  safely  ascribed  to  any  thing  but  tiie 
Spirit  of  God;  and  that,  consequently,  we  may  con- 
sider ourselves  under  a  divine,  and  not  under  a  mere 
human  direction.  This  we  believe  to  be  true.  Never- 
theless, in  this  case,  as  in  all  others,  we  should  never 
yield  to  the  guidance  of  any  interior  attraction,  however 
it  may  have  the  ap^eara?ice  of  originating  with  the  Holy 
Spirit,  which  at  the  same  time  we  know  to  be  at  variance 
with  the  written  Word  of  God.  God  can  never  con- 
tradict himself;  and  whatever  revelation  he  has  made 
of  himself  in  his  holy  Word  we  must  regard  as  authen- 
tic, and  as  entitled  to  our  supreme  confidence.  But 
with  the  limitation  implied  in  this  remark,  we  have  no 
doubt  that  God,  operating  ufon  the  mind  in  a  divine 
manner,  will  certainly  teach  and  guide  those  who,  in 
renouncing  the  self-interested  eagerneijs  of  nature,  pos- 
sess true  meekness  and  quietne.ss  of  spirit,  and  who 
believingly  and  earnestly  look  to  him  for  such  teaching 
and  direction. 


"  Tis  thine  to  cleanse  the  heart, 

To  sanctify  the  soul, 
To  pour  fresh  life  in  every  part, 

And  new-create  the  whole. 

"  Dwell,  Spirit,  in  our  hearts  ; 

Our  minds  from  bondage  free ; 
Then  shall  we  know,  and  praise,  and  love, 

The  Father,  Son,  and  Thee." 

26 


302 


CHAPTER   FOURTH. 

DISTINCTION  lETWEEN  IMPULSES  AND  A  SANCTIFIED 
JUDGMENT. 

It  is  sometimes  the  case,  that  persons  act  from  certain 
interior  impressions,  which  may  properly  be  termed 
IMPULSES.  It  would  certainly  be  very  injurious  to  the 
cause  of  holiness,  if  the  doctrine  should  prevail  that 
mere  interior  impressions  or  impulses  may  of  themselves 
become  the  rule  of  conduct  to  a  holy  person.  That 
persons  in  sanctification  are  under  a  divine  guidance, 
and  that  they  cannot  retain  the  grace  of  sanctification 
without  such  guidance,  is  entirely  true.  But  it  has 
sometimes  been  the  case,  that  men  have  mistaken  natu- 
ral impulses  for  the  secret  inspirations  of  the  Spirit, 
and,  in  the  flattering  belief  of  being  guided  by  a  higher 
power,  have  experienced  no  other  guidance  than  that  of 
their  own  rebellious  passions.  On  the  danger  of  such  a 
state,  of  which  the  church  has  seen  too  many  melan- 
choly instances,  it  is  unnecessary  to  remark.  We  pro- 
ceed, therefore,  to  lay  down  some  principles,  which,  if 
we  do  not  err  in  our  statement  of  them,  will  be  of  some 
assistance  in  guiding  us  in  relation  to  this  practical  and 
important  subject. 

First.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  very  various  in  his  oper- 
ations upon  men  ;  but  it  will  be  conceded,  I  suppose,  as 
a  correct  principle,  that  he  generally  conforms  himself 
in  his  operations,  whatever  they  may  be,  to  the  struc- 
ture and  laws  of  the  human  mind.  Accordingly,  in 
those  operations,  —  the  object  of  which  is  to  guide  or  di- 
rect men, — it  will  be  found  that  he  always  acts  in  con- 
nection with  the  powers  which  are  appropriate  to  such  a 
result;  and  particii'arly  in  connection  with  the  percep- 


IMPULSES    AND    A    SANCTIFIED    JUDGBIENT.  303 

live  and  judging  powers.     We  desire  it  to  be  kept  in 
mind,  that    we  are  speaking    here  of  his  directing   or 
guiding  operations  ;  in  other  words,  those   which  have 
a  special  connection  with  human  conduct.     These  are 
the  operations  which  most  intimately  concern  us,  and 
m  regard  to  which  it  is  most   important  to    establish 
correct  prmciples.     We  proceed  to  say,  therefore,  it  is 
very  obvious  from  man's  mental  structure,  although  he 
is  sometimes  the  subject  of  a  purely  instinctive  move- 
ment, that  God  designed  that   the  perceptive  and  judg- 
ing powers  which  he  has  given  us  should  ordinarify 
furnish  the  fundamental  condition  or  basis  of  human 
action.     And  if  in  his  spiritual  providences  it  should  bo 
found  to  be  his  practice  to  guide  men  in  any  way  not 
in  accordance  with  this  design,  he  would  be  inconsistent 
with  himself.     The  first  principle,  therefore,  which  we 
lay  down,  is  this,  —  that  the  Holy  Spirit  guides  men  by 
operating  in  connection  with  the  perceptive  and  jud^^- 
ing*  powers.  ° 

And  we  may  properly  remark  here,  that  this  view, 
which  is  so  important  as  to  be  deserving   of  the  reflec- 
tion of  the  most  judicious  persons,  seems  to  be  in  accord- 
ance   with    the    sentiments  of  the   pious    and    learned 
John  Howe.     "  We  cannot,"  says  this  esteemed  writer, 
"so  much  as  apprehend  clearly  and  with  disinction  the 
things  which  are  needful  for  us  to  apprehend,  without 
the  light  of  the  Spirit  ofioisdom.     It  is  necessary,  (viz., 
the  light  which  the  Spirit  of  wisdom  gives-,)  in  order  to 
(he  act  of  distinguishing  or  discerning   between  things, 
what  is  to  be  done  and  what  is  not  to  be  done.     There 
is  a  continual  need,  through  the  whole  course  of  our 
spiritual  life,  for  the  using  of  such  a  discretive  judg- 
ment between    things   and  tilings.     And    in    reference 
hereto,  there  needs  a  continual  emanation  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  for  otherwise  we  put  good  for  evil  and  evil  for 
good  ;  light  for  darkness  and  darkness  for  light.     We 
need  the  Spirit's  help,  to  shine  with  vigorous  and  power- 
ful light  into  our  minds,  so  as  to  bring  our  judgments  to  a 
right  determination." 

SeromJ.    We   may  lay   't  down  as  another  principl'.. 


304  DISTINCTION    BETWEEN    IMPULSES 

that  the  Holy  Spirit  does  not,  either  by  his  gentle  influ- 
ences, or  by  those  which  are  more  sudden  and  powerful, 
so  operate  upon  a  person  as  to  guide  him  into  any 
course  which  is  truly  irrational  and  absurd.  Now,  we 
know,  in  many  cases,  if  we  should  yield  to  the  direction 
of  mere  impressions  and  impulses,  especially  those  which 
are  of  a  powerful  kind,  we  should  be  led  to  do  those 
things  which,  to  whatever  test  or  measurement  they 
might  be  subjected,  could  not  escape  the  denomination 
of  irrationality  or  absurdity.  Of  such  impulses  the 
Holy  Spirit  can  never  be  the  author,  because  nothing 
which  is  really  absurd  and  irrational  (we  speak  not  of 
the  mere  appearance,  but  of  the  reality  of  absurdity) 
can  come  from  that  source.  I  recollect  once  to  have 
read  the  account  of  a  person,  published  by  himself,  in 
which  he  gives  the  reader  to  understand,  that  on  a  cer- 
tain occasion  he  was  suddenly  and  violently  seized  by 
the  power  of  God,  as  he  expresses  it  —  an  expression 
undoubtedly  synonymous,  in  the  view  of  the  writer,  with 
the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  that  he  was  raised  up  by 
this  divine  impulse  from  the  chest  on  which  he  was 
sitting,  and  was  ''  whirled  swiftly  round,  like  a  top,  for 
the  space  of  two  hours,  without  the  least  pain  or  incon- 
venience." We  do  not  see  on  what  grounds  such  an 
extraordinary  result  as  this,  so  unmeaning,  so  unprofit- 
able and  absurd,  can  properly  be  ascribed  to  the  power 
of  God  or  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  especially  if  it 
be  susceptible  of  explanation,  as  we  think  it  can  be,  in  a 
considerable  degree  at  least,  on  any  natural  principles. 
We  know  that  the  Savior  was  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost ; 
but  we  do  not  read  of  his  being  subjected  to  any  oper- 
ation of  this  kind.  We  know,  also,  that  the  apostles, 
although  they  were  plentifully  endowed  with  the  Di- 
vine Spirit,  and  under  his  teachings  wrought  various 
wonderful  works,  yet  were  never  at  any  time  made  the 
subjects  of  such  irrationalities.  We  have  here,  there- 
fore, a  mark  of  distinction,  viz.,  — that  various  irrational 
and  absurd  results  may  flow  from  natural  impressions 
and  impulses,  but  can  ne^er  flow  from  the  true  oper- 
Htions  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 


AMD    A    SANCTIFIED    JUDGMENT.  305 

Third.    Actions  which  proceed  from  pure  impulse,  or 
a  mere  internal  impression,  without  attendant  perception 
or   reflection,  cannot  possibly  be  holy  actions.      What 
we  mean  to  say  is,  that  there  is  a  natural  impossibility 
of  their  bemg  such.     A  mere  impulse,  unattended  by 
perception  and  reflection,  is  of  the  nature  of  an  instinct  • 
and  any  action,  done  from  mere  blind  impulse,  no  mat- 
ter how  strong  or  extraordinary  that  impulse  may  be   is 
both  physically  and  morally  of  the  nature  of  an  instinc- 
tive action.      Now,  as  it  is  universally  conceded  that 
purely  instinctive  actions  have  no  moral  character,  it  is 
entirely  evident    that  impulsive  actions,  which  are  of 
the  same  nature  with  instinctive  actions,  have  no  title 
to  the  denomination  or  character  of  holiness.     Some 
persons  seem  to  think,  the  more  they  act  from  impulse 
especially  powerful  impulse,  the  more  holy  they  are! 
But  this,  if  we  are  correct  in  what  has  been  said   is  a 
great  and  dangerous  mistake.  ' 

Fourth.    That  the  Holy  Spirit  does  sometimes   act 
directly  upon  the  sensibilities  by  exciting   in  them  a 
purely  impulsive  feeling,  we  may  probably  admit.     Un- 
doubtedly there   are   some  facts,  in   the  experience  of 
pious  men,  which  favor  this  view.     But  is  it  the  object 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  originating  impulsive  impressions, 
to  excite  men  to  immediate  action  without  any  reflec- 
tion, or  to  excite  them  to  action  rationally ;  that  is  to 
say,  in  connection  with  suitable  inquiry  and  consider- 
ation ?    This  is  the  important  question  ;    ana    tne   ae- 
cision  of  It  involves  great  practical  results.    It  is  certainly 
reasonable  to  suppose,  that  it  is  not   the  object  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  when  he  makes  a  direct  impulsive  impres- 
sion on  the  human  mind,  to  lead  men  to  act  without 
perception  and  reflection ;    but  rather  to  stop  them  in 
their  thoughtless  and  unreflecting  career,  and  to  awaken 
within  them    the   slumbering    powers  of  thought  and 
inquiry.     It  is  reasonable  to  suppose  this,  because,  as  a 
wise  being,  as  a  being  acting  in  accordance  with  the 
laws  of  the  human  mind,  as  a  being  infinitely  desirous 
of  true  holiness  in  men,  we  do  not  well  perceive  how 
26*  4 


306  DISTINCTION    BETWEEN    IMPULSES 

he  can  take  any  other  course  than  this.  The  true 
tendency,  therefore,  of  those  impressions  or  impulses 
which  come  from  the  Spirit  of  God,  is  to  awaken  men 
to  a  sense  of  their  thoughtlessness,  and  to  quicken 
within  them  a  state  of  humble  and  holy  consideration 
When  such  impressions  and  impulses  are  from  the  right 
source,  we  cannot  doubt  that  the  results  will  be  of  this 
character  —  that  is  to  say,  they  will  not  of  themselves 
lead  men  to  direct  action,  but  will  lead  them  to  that 
inquiry  and  reflection  which  are  preparatory  to  action. 
But  when  impressions  or  impulses  come  from  Satan,  as 
they  sometimes  do,  their  tendency  is  to  lead  men  to 
action  at  once,  without  such  intermediate  consideration 
Fifth.  Those  impulses  and  impressions  which  are 
from  the  Spirit  of  God  are  of  a  peaceful  and  gentle 
character.  They  never  agitate  and  disturb  the  mind 
but,  on  the  contrary,  lay  a  wholesome  restraint  upon  it 
and  hold  it  in  a  state  of  deep  solemnity  and  of  attentive 
stillness.  This  is  the  precise  state  of  things  which  i? 
needed  as  preparatory  to  the  mind's  perceptive  and  re- 
flective action.  The  first  question  of  the  soul,  when  it 
is  thus  arrested  by  the  true  impulses  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
is,  "  Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ?  "  It  pauses  ; 
it  reflects  ;  it  inquires ;  it  reads  the  Bible  ;  it  watches 
the  providences  of  God ;  it  prays ;  it  asks  for  the  assist- 
ance of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  its  perceptions  and  reason- 
ings ;  and  it  dares  not  take  one  step  to  the  right  hand  oi 
to  the  left,  until  all  its  perceptive  and  reasoning  powers 
have  been  exercised,  and  exercised,  too,  under  the  sanc- 
tifying guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  So  that,  although 
we  may  admit  that  there  are  sensitive  impressions  and 
impulses  which  are  from  the  Holy  Spirit,  yet  they  are 
not  of  themselves,  when  they  are  really  from  that  right 
and  good  source,  guiding  and  controlling  principles,  but 
are  merely  preparatory  to  the  action  of  such  controlling 
principles,  which  are  to  be  found  in  the  intellective 
rather  than  the  sensitive  part.  And  such  impressions 
are  to  be  known  by  the  decisive  mark  or  characteristic 
which  has  now  been  given  ;  viz.,  they  are  peaceable 


AND    A    SANCTIFIED    JUDGMENT.  307 

holding  the  mind  ni  a  state  of  solemn  and  quiet  atten- 
tion. Perhaps  a  simple  illustration  will  make  our  mean- 
ing more  readily  understood.  A  person  is  at  a  particu- 
lar time  peculiarly  impressed  that  it  is  his  duty  to  visit 
another  person  and  converse  with  him  on  the  subject  of 
religion.  If  this  impression  is  of  divine  origin,  it  will 
not  violently  agitate  him  ;  it  will  not  lead  him  to  action, 
whether  rationally  or  irrationally  ;  it  will  not  necessarily 
and  absolutely  compel  him  to  visit  the  person  at  once, 
and  without  any  intermediate  exercise  of  the  mind.  It 
will  lead  him,  in  the  first  instance,  to  reflect,  to  consider 
the  suggested  or  impressed  duty  in  various  points  of 
view,  to  mark  the  openings  of  God's  providence,  and  to 
pray  that,  in  his  reflections  and  inquiries  in  respect  to 
duty,  he  may  be  guided  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  In  a  word, 
the  impression  which  he  has  prompts  him,  in  the  first 
instance,  merely  to  make  prayerful  inquiry  ;  but  in  his 
further  action  he  puts  himself  under  the  direction  of  a 
sanctified  judgment ;  or,  if  the  expression  be  preferred, 
under  the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Ghost  operating  through 
the  medium  of  a  sanctified  judgment.  In  accordance 
with  these  views,  we  find  the  following  passage  in  the 
writings  of  Antonia  Bourignon  :  "If  the  Holy  Spirit 
inspires  any  thing,  he  will  always  give  time  to  consult 
upon  it  with  God." 

Sixth.  Impressions  and  impulses,  which  are  not  from 
the  Holy  Spirit,  but  from  some  other  source,  such  as  a 
disordered  imagination,  the  world,  or  the  devil,  are  not  of 
that  peaceful  and  quiet  character  which  has  been  men- 
tioned, but  are  hasty  and  violent.  In  violation  of  the 
great  Scriptural  maxim,  "He  that  believeth  shall 
NOT  make  haste,"  the  person  who  is  under  this  perni- 
cious influence  thinks  he  cannot  be  too  quick.  He 
makes  but  little  account  of  obstacles ;  he  cannot  take 
time  for  interior  examination  ;  he  has  no  open  eye  to 
God's  outward  providences  ;  he  is  too  impetuous,  too 
nmch  possessed  by  himself  or  by  Satanic  influence,  to 
engage  in  calm  and  humble  prayer  for  guidance  ;  in  a 
word,  b  3  rushes  blindly  onward  just  as  his  great  adver- 


308 


])1STINCTI0N    BETWEEN    IMPULSES 


sary,  who  is  especially  interested  in  his  movements, 
would  have  him.  • 

The  great  plea  of  these  persons  is,  that  the  time  is 
NOW ;  that  what  is  to  be  done  is  to  be  done  now  ;  that 
the  present  moment  is  the  true  moment  of  action.  This 
is  essentially  true  ;  but  there  is  a  valuable  remark  of 
Fenelon,  which  places  the  doctrine  of  present  or  imme- 
diate action    in    its  correct    position.     It    is,  that    the 

PRESENT     MOMENT     HAS     A     MORAL     EXTENSION.        Ill    Other 

words,  we  are  undoubtedly  bound  to  fulfil  the  duty  of 
the  present  moment  ;  but  it  is  the  present  moment,  not 
in  a  state  of  barren  insulation,  but  considered  in  all  its 
relations  to  God,  man,  and  the  universe.  But  it  is  per- 
fectly obvious,  that  the  duties  of  the  present  moment 
cannot  be  fulfilled  in  their  moral  extension  without 
calling  in  the  aid  of  .a  calmly  reflective  and  sanctified 
iudgment. 

Seventh.  When  an  action  is  performed,  to  which  v/e 
are  prompted  by  a  gracious  and  not  a  mere  natural  or 
Satanic  impulse,  but  which  action  is  not  attended  with 
all  those  good  results  which  we  expected  and  hoped 
we  are  entirely  acquiescent.  We  receive  the  result 
without  trouble  of  mind.  For  instance,  we  are  led,  in 
the  providence  of  God  and  imder  the  guidance  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  to  converse  with  a  person  on  the  subject  of 
religion;  and,  contrary  to  our  hope  and  expectation,  he 
coolly  and  superciliously  rejects  our  message.  The  result, 
though  painful,  does  not  disquiet  us.  We  leave  it  calm- 
ly in  the  hands  of  God.  Whereas  a  person,  who  per- 
forms an  action  from  an  impulse  which  is  not  from  the 
Spirit  of  God,  and  who  finds  the  result  diflerent  from 
what  he  expected,  will  be  likely  to  experience  a  degree 
of  unsubmissive  dissatisfaction,  and  to  show  signs  of  fret- 
fulness.  And  I  think  it  a  matter  of  common  observation, 
that  Christians  who  are  governed  in  a  considerable  de- 
gree by  natural  or  any  other  impulses  not  divine,  mis- 
taking them  for  a  truly  spiritual  guidance,  are,  to  use  the 
common  expression  in  the  case,  "  always  in  trouble ;  "  — 
sometimes  with  the  church  ;  sometimes  with  their  min- 


AND    A    SANCTIFIED    JUDGMENT.  309 

istcr  5  sometimes  with  one  thing,  and  sometimes  with 
another ;  and  alas !  not  unfreqiiently,  although  they  seem 
to  be  wholly  miaware  of  it,  with  the  wisely-ordered 
providences  of  God  himself.  They  are  not  childlike, 
and  meek,  and  lowiy  in  heart,  as  those  always  are  who 
are  truly  guided  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  They  are  not  like 
the  Savior,  who,  when  he  was  oppressed  and  afflicted, 
opened  not  his  mouth,  but  was  led  as  a  lamb  to  the 
slaughter. 

Eighth.  We  are  continually  taught  by  good  men  in 
the  Bible,  that  we  ought  to  be  like  our  heavenly  Father, 
to  be  holy  as  he  is  holy,  to  be  perfect  as  he  is  perfect. 
And  I  suppose  it  is  the  general  design  and  aim  of  Chris- 
tians, who  are  striving  after  high  attainments  in  holi- 
ness, to  bear  this  blessed  image.  But  probably  we  do 
not  any  of  us  conceive  of  God  as  acting  impulsively 
and  without  reflection  ;  as  regulating  his  conduct  by  the 
stupid  instinct  of  impressions,  without  the  clear  light  ot 
perceptive  rationality.  We  should  be  deeply  afflicted 
and  affrighted  in  being  obliged  to  ascribe  to  our  heaven- 
ly Father  such  a  character  as  this.  Similar  views  will 
apply  to  the  Savior.  He  himself  says,  John  v.  30,  "  I 
can  of  mine  own  self  do  nothing.  As  I  hear,  I  judge  ; 
[that  is  to  say,  the  communications  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
call  my  judgment  into  exercise]  and  my  judgment  is 
just,  because  [implying  in  the  remark  that  he  was  unin- 
fluenced by  any  suggestions  and  impressions  from  self] 
I  seek  not  my  own  will,  but  the  will  of  the  Father 
which  hath  sent  me."  Are  we  not  safe,  then,  if  God 
desires  and  requires  us  to  be  like  himself,  and  to  be  like 
Him  also,  whom,  in  the  likeness  of  man,  he  has  set  be- 
fore us  as  our  example,  in  saying  that  a  judgment 
enlightened  by  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the  true  guide  of 
our  actions,  rather  than  blind  impulses  and  impressions  ? 

It  will  be  recollected  that  we  do  not  absolutely  deny 
the  occasional  existence  of  impulses  and  impressions 
resulting  from  the  operations  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  But 
we  cannot  well  avoid  the  conclusion,  that  they  are 
entitled  to  no  influence,  and  are  not  designed  to  have 


3 10  DISTINCTION    BETWEEN    IMPULSES 

any,  except  in  connection  with  the  subsequent  action 
of  an  awakened  and  sanctified  judgment.  And  it  is 
this  view  only  which  can  rescue  them  from  the  impu- 
tation of  blindness  and  irrationality,  even  when  they 
come  from  a  good  and  right  source.  When,  therefore, 
we  speak  of  them  as  blind  and  irrational,  we  wish  to 
be  understood  as  speaking  of  them  as  they  are  in  them- 
selves, and  without  being  enlightened  by  the  subse- 
quent action  of  a  sanctified  intellect.  The  subsequent 
action  of  the  mind,  which  may  always  be  expected  tc 
follow  when  they  come  from  the  Holy  Spirit,  cannot 
fail  to  impart  to  them  a  new  and  interesting  character. 

In  conclusion,  we  would  remark,  that  the  doctrine  of 
present  sanctification  has  much  to  fear  from  not  accu- 
rately distinguishing  natural  and  Satanic  impulses  from 
the  true  movings  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  the  heart. 
Many,  who  ran  well  for  a  time,  but  who  afterwards 
yielded  themselves  to  impulsive  influences  which  were 
not  from  the  Spirit  of  God,  have  wandered  into  per- 
plexed and  divergent  paths,  to  the  injury  of  the  cause 
of  holiness  and  of  their  own  souls.  And  we  would 
just  remark  here,  that  the  most  interesting  and  satis- 
factory illustrations  of  holy  living  which  have  come 
under  our  notice  are  the  cases  of  persons  who  endeavoi 
constantly  to  put  themselves  under  the  direction  of  a 
sanctified  intellect ;  who  are  willing  to  do  any  thing 
and  every  thing  for  the  glory  of  God  ]  but  who  feel 
that  they  need  and  must  have  wisdom.  These  persons 
can  testify  that  they  are  guided  by  the  Holy  Spirit ; 
but  they  can  testify,  also,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  does  not 
require  them  to  do  any  thing  which  an  enlightened  and 
sanctified  intellect  does  not  appreciate  and  approve. 
And  hence  their  course  is  marked  by  consistency  and 
sound  discretion.  They  are  not  different  men  at  I'nffer- 
ent  times,  on  whom  no  dependence  can  be  ]  iaced. 
They  are  always  at  their  post ;  supporters  of  tht:  min- 
istry ;  pillars  in  the  church  ;  patient  under  opposition 
and  rebuke ;  faithful  in  warning  sinners ;  counsellors 
in  tmies  of  difficulty  ;  mighty  in  the  Scriptures ;  burn 


I 


AND    A    SANCTIFIED    JUDGMENT.  311 

ing  and  shining  lights  in  the  world.  It  is  such  persons 
that  truly  sustain  and  honor  the  blessed  doctrine  of 
holiness ;  presenting  before  the  world  the  mighty 
argument  of  consistent  holy  living,  which  unbelievers 
cannot  confute,  and  which  the  wicked  and  the  envious 
are  unable  to  gainsay. 


312 


CHAPTER   FIFTH. 

ON   SPIRITUAL    COOPERATION   WITH    GOD. 


It  is  very  obvious  that  man,  considered  as  a  rational 
and  voluntary  being,  is  designed  for  action.  And  when 
we  consider  the  relation  of  entire  dependence  which 
man  sustains  to  his  Creator,  it  is  no  less  obvious  that 
human  action  ought  to  assume  and  to  maintain  the 
shape  of  cooperation  with  God.  This  is  designed  to 
be,  and  it  ought  to  be,  the  great  object  of  our  life,  viz., 

COOPERATION    WITH    GoD. 

First.  In  endeavoring  to  ascertain  the  principles  of 
this  important  subject,  we  remark,  in  the  first  place,  that 
we  are  not  to  midertake  to  decide  for  ourselves  (that 
is  to  say,  by  a  reference  to  our  own  wishes  merely) 
what  we  are  to  do,  and  what  we  are  not  to  do.  Such 
a  course  would  exhibit  a  disposition  to  cooperate  with 
ourselves,  if  we  may  so  express  it,  rather  than  with 
God.  On  the  contrary,  realizing  deeply  the  general 
fact  of  our  liability  to  error,  we  should  ever  be  in  that 
state  of  mind  which  will  lead  us,  with  meekness  and 
simplicity,  to  inquire  what  our  heavenly  Father  will 
have  us  to  do.  We  should  have  no  choice  of  our  own, 
which  shall  be,  in  any  degree  whatever,  at  variance 
with  his  choice.  The  thing  to  be  done,  whatever  it 
may  be,  must  be  left  with  him.  This  is  one  condition 
on  which  we  can  cooperate  with  God,  and  without 
which  it  is  evident  that  no  acceptable  cooperation  with 
him  can  take  place. 

Second.  We  are  not,  in  the  second  place,  while  wc 
leave  to  God  to  ascertain  the  object  to  be  done,  to 
undertake,  of  ourselves,  to  prescrite  the  time  of  doing 


ON    SPIRITUAL    COOPERATION    WITH    GOU.  313 

it.  God  has  not  only  a  work  to  be  done,  but  he  also 
has  a  time  of  doing  it.  His  time  is  the  right  time  ; 
and  no  other  time  is.  David  was  willing  to  build  a 
house  of  worship  for  the  Lord.  But  the  time  which 
Infinite  Wisdom  prescribed  for  this  great  work  had  not 
arrived ;  and,  in  the  spirit  of  acquiescence,  he  left  it 
to  his  successor.  In  repeated  instances,  the  Savior 
expressed  the  sentiment,  that  "  his  hour  was  not  yet 
come  ;  "  implying,  very  evidently,  that  the  great  events 
of  his  life,  whether  of  action  or  of  suffering,  had  their 
appropriate  time ;  and  neither  the  protestations  of 
friends,  nor  the  dictation  of  enemies,  could  induce  him 
to  violate  the  maxims  of  true  wisdom,  by  anticipating, 
even  for  a  moment,  that  appropriate  period.  If,  there- 
fore, we  gird  ourselves  for  action,  however  good  the 
object  to  be  done  may  be,  either  before  the  appropriate 
time  or  after  it,  we  do  not  cooperate  with  God,  who 
always  acts  precisely  at  the  right  time.  This  is  a  point 
which  it  is  very  important  to  remember.  Persons  are 
more  likely  to  fall  into  error  here  than  in  the  particular 
which  was  first  mentioned.  There  is  a  sort  of  latent 
feeling,  (a  very  unrighteous  feeling  it  is,)  that  if  God  is 
permitted  exclusively  to  designate  the  object,  we  should 
have  some  degree  of  liberty  in  exercising  our  own  wis- 
dom, either  partially  or  wholly,  in  the  designation  of 
the  time.  In  other  words,  we  are  apt  to  feel  that  a  less 
perfect  submission  is  required  in  regard  to  the  time 
than  in  regard  to  the  object.  This  tendency  must  be 
f'arefully  guarded  against. 

Third.  We  are  not,  in  the  third  place,  while  we 
leave  to  God  to  ascertain  the  object  to  be  done  and  the 
time  of  doing  it,  to  undertake  to  decide  for  ourselves  as 
to  the  MANNER  of  doiug  it.  We  know  how  it  is  in 
ordinary  life.  A  servant  sometimes,  or  even  a  son,  will 
do  what  the  master  or  father  has  commanded,  and  ao  it 
at  the  right  time  ;  but  will  do  it,  perhaps,  with  excite- 
ment and  rudeness  of  feeling,  without  true  cordiality  of 
heart,  and  that  laborious  care  which  might  reasonably 
be  expected.     It  is  true   that  we  have  here  the  essen- 


314  ON    SPIRITUAL    COOPEBATION    WITH    GOD. 

tials  of  a  visible  and  operative  cooperation  ;  but  it  is 
evident  that  we  have  not  that  higher  inward  and  men- 
tal cooperation  which  God  requires.  We  must  coop- 
erate cordially.  If  we  are  associated  with  others,  we 
must  be  willing  to  take  the  first  place  or  the  last  place, 
to  act  as  leader  or  servant,  just  as  God  chooses.  We 
must  also  take  any  part  of  the  work  which  God  sees  fit 
to  impose  upon  us  ;  that  which  is  esteemed  low  and 
degrading,  as  well  as  that  which  is  more  agreeable  to 
refinement  of  taste  and  to  prevailing  notions  of  honor 
and  dignity.  In  every  thing  of  this  kind,  and  in  every 
thing  else  which  can  properly  be  inchided  in  the  manner 
of  doing  what  God  imposes,  we  are  required  to  follow, 
cheerfully  and  unhesitatingly,  the  indications  of  the 
Divine  Will  —  otherwise  there  is  no  true  cooperation. 

Fourth.  In  order  to  realize,  personally,  the  conditions 
of  divine  cooperation  which  have  been  mentioned,  it  is 
necessary  to  be,  mentally,  in  a  state  of  passivity,  as  it 
is  sometimes  expressed  ;  or,  more  properly  and  truly,  of 
strict  impartiality  before  God.  In  other  words,  we 
must  be  willing  to  submit  ourselves  to  the  divine  guid- 
ance, without  the  least  resistance  or  bias  of  mind ; 
remaining  in  the  attitude  of  silent  and  sincere  waiting 
upon  God,  that  we  may  learn  from  him  what  he  would 
have  us  to  do;  and  also  at  what  time  and  in  what  man- 
ner. The  language  of  our  souls  must  be  essentially 
^hat  of  the  Psalmist,  when  he  exclaimed,  "My  soul, 
wait  thou  only  upon  the  Lord  ;  for  my  expectation  is 
from  him."  And  it  is  implied  in  this,  especially,  that 
our  m'lxas  should  not  be  under  the  influence  of  preju- 
dice or  of  wrong  passion  in  any  form.  When  the  mind 
has  arrived  at  the  state  of  entire  submission  and  of 
holy  impartiality,  resulting  in  the  removal  of  the  stains 
of  prejudice  and  the  shades  of  passion,  it  resembles  a 
clear  and  bright  mirror,  reflecting  easily  and  distinctly 
the  desires  and  purposes  of  God.  In  this  state  of  mind 
it  is  easy  to  leave  every  thing  with  him  ;  to  receive 
from  him,  implicitly,  the  annunciation  of  the  thing  to 
be  done,  and  also  all  the  attendant  conditions  of  doing 


ON    SPIRITUAL    COOPERATION    WITH    GOD,  315 

it.  God  is  pleased  to  be  present  with,  and  to  operate  in, 
such  a  sonl.  The  Holy  Spirit  teaches  it ;  and  it  has 
both  the  power  to  hear  and  the  spirit  to  obey.  But  in 
any  other  condition  of  mind  there  must,  necessarily,  be 
a  conflict  between  the  agitated  and  self-interested  will 
of  the  creature  and  the  decisions  of  the  Supreme  Mind. 

Fifth.  When  we  enter  into  the  state  of  cooperation 
with  God,  we  must  feel  that  our  agency  is  entirely 
dependent  and  secondary  in  all  the  subsequent  progress 
of  the  work,  whatever  it  is,  not  less  than  in  its  incipient 
stages.  I  know  that  man  has  will,  and  that  he  has 
power.  It  would  be  a  great  error  to  deny  or  to  doubt 
it.  But  it  is  equally  true,  that  he  is  dependent ;  and 
that,  in  a  very  important  sense,  he  has  nothing.  We 
must,  therefore,  not  only  begin  in  our  nothingness, 
but  must  be  willing  to  remain  in  it.  It  is  a  partnership 
where  we  must  realize,  that  not  only  all  the  capital, 
but,  when  properly  considered,  that  all  the  personal 
operative  power,  are  from  one  source.  Man  works,  it 
is  true  ;  but  God  works  in  him.  Man  working  with- 
out God's  working,  as  the  basis  of  it,  is  of  no  avail. 
Man's  strength  is  in  God's  strength.  Hence  there  must 
be  no  undue  anxiety,  no  unsuitable  and  excited  eager- 
ness, no  methods  and  plans  of  action  originated  and 
prosecuted  on  worldly  principles ;  which  necessarily 
imply  some  distrust  of  the  skill  and  resources  of  the 
great  Being  who  has  thus  condescended  to  work  by 
means  of  human  instrumentality.  We  must  move 
when  God  moves ;  stop  when  he  stops ;  deliberate 
when  he  deliberates  ;  act  when  he  acts.  Any  assump- 
tion, on  our  part,  of  superior  wisdom  or  strength  —  any 
disposition  to  move  in  anticipation  of  his  movement,  or 
in  any  way  to  forestall  the  divine  intimations  —  would 
be  getting  not  only  out  of  the  position  of  dependence 
and  nothingness,  but  out  of  the  line  of  cooperation. 

Sixth.  As  closely  connected  with  what  has  already 
been  said,  and  in  accordance  with  the  commonly- 
received  doctrine  of  '■^ preventing,''^  or  prevenient  grace, 
we  remark   further,  that,  in  cooperating  with   God,  i 


C16  ON    SPIPaxUAL    COOPERATION    WITH    GOD. 

wems  to  be  necessary  that  we  should  be  in  a  state  of 
ecipiency  rather  than  of  communication.  In  other 
A/"ords,  it  being  admitted  that  we  have  nothing  of  our 
:)wn  which  we  can  communicate  or  give  to  God,  it 
would  seem  to  follow  that  our  cooperation,  so  far  as  it 
has  an  existence  at  all,  must  depend  upon  the  fact  of 
our  receiving  from  him.  Accordingly,  it  seems  to  be 
our  great  duty,  by  meekness  and  simplicity  of  heart  — 
by  freedom  from  worldly  vanities,  and  entire  self-renun- 
ciation—  to  put  ourselves  in  the  true  receptive  attitude. 
We  must  remember,  especially  as  unbelief  is  apt  to  find 
its  way  in  at  this  entrance,  that  God  is  always  ready  to 
communicate  himself.  We  need  not  fear  that  our  divine 
Associate  in  this  great  copartnership  will  be  found 
wanting.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  his  desire,  his  de- 
light, his  highest  happiness,  to  communicate  himself; 
and  the  reason  why  he  does  not  communicate  himself 
to  all  men  at  once,  is  the  existence,  in  their  bosoms, 
of  obstacles  which  they  themselves  have  voluntarily 
placed  there ;  so  that  the  highest  honor  and  the  high- 
est power  of  man  is,  having  put  away  these  obstacles, 
to  wait  upon  God,  in  the  exercise  of  simple  faith,  for  the 
reception  of  the  divine  sufficiency. 

But  some  will  perhaps  inquire,  in  connection  with 
the  views  now  presented.  Shall  we  remain  inactive  ?  1 
reply,  that  man  is  justly  and  efficiently  active  when  he 
is  active  in  communication  with  God,  and  yet  remain- 
ing deeply  in  his  own  sphere  of  nothingness.  Man 
never  acts  to  higher  and  nobler  purpose  than  when,  in 
the  realization  of  his  own  comparative  nihility,  he 
places  himself  in  the  receptive  position,  and  lets  God 
work  in  him.  He  who  is  receptive  is  neither  idle  nor 
unprofitable.  In  the  intercourse  between  man  and  his 
Maker,  it  is  the  receptive,  and  not  the  communicative 
activity,  which  is  the  source  of  truth,  riches,  and  power. 
The  religious  man,  in  his  receptive  activity,  is  like  the 
earth,  (so  far  as  we  can  compare  things  mental  with 
material.)  which  receives  into  its  ploughed  and  ex- 
panded   bosom    the    morning   dew,    and    the    summei 


ON    SPIRITUAL    COOPERATION    WITH    GOD.  317 

shower,  and  the  daily  sunshine  ;  that  thus,  by  being 
prepared  to  receive  them,  and  by  being  endowed  with 
abundant  communications  from  without  and  above,  it 
may,  subsequently,  become  rich  in  itself,  and  in  its 
own  vitality,  as  it  were,  be  crowned  with  fruit  and 
flower.  Or  perhaps  we  may  say,  more  appropriately, 
that  he  is  like  those  scholars  who  are  impressed  with  a 
sense  of  their  own  inferiority  and  ignorance,  and  are 
willing  to  sit  patiently  and  humbly  at  the  feet  of  their 
distinguished  teachers,  that  they  may  grow  in  knowl- 
edge. Their  minds  are  receptive,  but  not  inert  —  are 
in  the  attitude  of  listening,  but  are  not  idle.  They 
ultimately,  in  the  way  of  cooperation  with  what  they 
have  received,  become  fruitful  in  themselves  ;  but  it  is 
only  because  they  are  humble  and  attentive  recipients 
in  the  first  instance. 

Seventh.  Besides  that  cooperation  in  particular  emer- 
gencies, which  has  already  been  remarked  upon,  we 
may  observe  further,  that  God  requires  a  constant  coop- 
eration—  a  cooperation  moment  by  moment  —  what 
some  writers  have  described  as  "  living  to  God  hy  the 
moment.''''  It  is  a  universal  law,  unalterable  as  God  is, 
and  lasting  as  eternity,  that  no  created  being  can  be 
truly  holy,  useful,  or  happy,  who  is  knowingly  and 
deliberately  out  of  the  line  of  divine  cooperation  even 
for  a  moment.  Accordingly,  we  are  to  consider  every 
moment  as  consecrated  to  God.  It  is  true  that,  in 
order  to  the  full  and  assured  life  of  God  in  the  soul, 
there  must  be  the  general  act  of  consecration,  which 
has  already  been  explained  in  a  former  part  of  this 
work,  and  which  is  understood  to  relate  to  a  man's 
whole  nature,  and  to  cover  the  whole  ground  of  time 
and  eternity.  And  we  may  say  further,  that  it  is 
proper  to  recall  distinctly  to  mind,  and  to  repeat  at 
suitable  times,  the  general  act  of  consecration ;  but  it 
does  not  appear  to  be  necessary,  in  the  strict  sense  of 
the  terms,  or  in  any  other  sense  than  that  of  repeating 
it,  to  RENEW  it,  unless  it  has  been,  at  some  period,  really 
withdrawn.  But  while  the  general  act  remains  good, 
27  * 


318  ON    SPIRITUAL    COOPERATION    WITH    GOD. 

and  diffuses  its  consecrative  influence  over  the  whole 
course  of  our  being,  it  is  necessary  to  consecrate  our- 
selves in  particulars,  as  the  events  or  occasions  of  such 
particular  consecration  may  successively  arise.  And  in 
the  remark,  as  we  now  wish  it  to  be  understood,  we  do 
not  mean  merely  those  events  which,  while  they  are 
distinct,  are  peculiarly  marked  and  important ;  but  all 
events,  of  whatever  character.  In  other  words,  although 
we  may  have  consecrated  ourselves  to  God  in  a  general 
way,  and  by  a  universal  act  of  consecration,  in  all 
respects,  and  for  all  time,  we  must, still  consecrate  our- 
selves to  him  in  each  separate  duty  and  trial  which  his 
providence  imposes,  and  tnoment  hy  moment.  '  The 
present  moment,  therefore,  is,  in  a  special  sense,  the 
important  moment  —  the  divine  moment  —  the  moment 
which  we  cannot  safely  pass  without  having  the  divine 
blessing  upon  it. 

Thus  extensive  is  the  doctrine  of  divine  cooperation, 
when  it  is  rightly  understood.  How  thankful  should 
we  be,  thus  to  be  permitted  to  enter  into  partnership, 
insignificant  as  we  are,  and  to  become  co-workers,  with 
God!  Such  was  the  life  of  Enoch,  of  Abraham,  of 
Daniel,  of  John,  of  Paul.  How  the  idea  of  the  life  of 
man,  thus  united  with  the  life  and  activity  of  God, 
throws  discouragement  and  dishonor  upon  all  low  and 
grovelling  pursuits,  and  at  once  elevates  and  sanctifies 
our  nature ! 


319 


CHAPTER  SIXTH. 


E\1DENCES  OF  BEING  GUIDED  BY  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT 


It  is  the  object  of  the  present  chapter  —  without  pro- 
fessing, however,  or  attempting,  to  exhaust  the  subject  — 
to  lay  down  some  of  the  marks  or  evidences  of  being 
guided  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 

And,  accordingly,  we  proceed  to  remark,  in  the  first 
place,  that  the  person  who  is  guided  by  the  Holy  Spirit 
will  be  eminently  perceptive  and  rational.  The  opera- 
tions of  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  the  agency  which  he  exerts 
for  the  purpose  of  enlightening  and  guiding  men,  will 
not  be  found  to  be  accidental,  or  arbitrary,  or,  in  any 
sense,  irrational  operations.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to 
say  here,  after  what  has  been  said  in  the  chapter  on 
the  Distinction  between  Impulses  and  a  Sanctified  Judg- 
ment, that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  not  an  ignorant,  but  a  wise 
Being  —  not  an  agent  that  is  moved  by  unenlightened 
impulse,  but  by  perfect  knowledge.  And  this  being 
the  case,  it  is  a  natural  supposition,  and  one  which  will 
be  generally  assented  to,  that  his  operations  will  always 
exist  in  accordance  with,  and  not  in  opposition  to,  the 
laws  of  the  human  mind.  And,  furthermore,  according 
to  the  Scriptures,  a  primary  and  leading  ofiice,  though 
not  the  only  office  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  to  teach  men 
—  to  lead  them  into  the  truth.  And  if  so,  then,  ordi- 
narily, the  first  operation  will  be  upon  the  intellect,  in 
distinction  from  the  sensibilities  and  the  will.  And  we 
do  not  hesitate  to  say,  in  point  of  fact,  and  as  a  matter 
of  personal  experience,  that  the  person  who  is  guided 
by  the  Holy  Spirit  will  find  that  this  divine  agent  does, 
in  reality,  impart  an  increased  clearness  to  the  intellect- 


320  EVIDENCES    OF    BEING    GUIDED 

ual  or  cognitive  part  of  tlic  mind.  This  divine  opoi.i- 
tion  is,  for  the  most  part,  very  gentle  and  deeply  inte- 
rior ;  revealing  itself  by  its  results  more  than  by  the 
mere  mode  of  its  action  ;  but  it  is  not,  on  that  account, 
any  the  less  real.  It  seems  to  put  a  keenness  of  edge 
if  we  may  so  express  it,  upon  the  natural  perceptivity, 
£>o  as  to  enable  it  to  separate  idea  from  idea,  proposi- 
tion from  proposition ;  and  thus  to  guide  it,  with  a 
remarkable  niceness  of  discrimination,  through  the 
perplexities  of  error,  into  the  regions  of  truth.  We 
repeat,  therefore,  that  one  evidence  of  being  guided  b} 
the  Holy  Spirit  is,  that  such  guidance  contributes  to 
the  highest  rationality ;  in  other  words,  the  person 
who  is  guided  by  the  Holy  Spirit  (other  things  being 
equal)  will  be  the  most  keenly  perceptive,  judicious, 
and  rational;  not  flighty  and  precipitate  —  not  preju- 
diced, one-sided,  and  dogmatical  —  but,  like  his  great 
inward  Teacher,  calmly  and  divinely  cognitive.  The 
experience  of  holy  men,  particularly  of  those  who  have 
made  it  a  practice  to  ask  the  guidance  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  on  their  studies,  agrees  with  this  statement. 

Second.  We  observe,  in  the  second  place,  that  the  per- 
son who  is  guided  by  the  Holy  Spirit  will  possess  a 
quickly  operative  and  effective  conscience.  This  is  too 
obvious  to  require  much'  remark.  It  seems  to  be  impos- 
sible that  a  man  should  be  gnided  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  not  experience  a  purified  and  renovated  activity  of 
the  moral  sense.  This  important  result  is  what  might 
naturally  be  expected,  among  other  things,  from  the  re- 
sult on  our  intellectual  nature  which  has  already  been 
indicated.  It  is  well  known  that  the  conscience  oper- 
ates in  connection  with  the  intellect,  and  subsequent  in 
time.  There  must  necessarily  be  certain  intellectual 
data  or  facts,  as  the  basis  of  the  inward  conscientious 
movement.  And  in  accordance  with  this  law,  in  propor- 
tion as  the  truth,  under  the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
develops  itself  from  the  intellect  with  greater  and 
greater  clearness,  the  action  of  the  conscience  becomes 
mcreasingly    distinct,  sensitive,  and  energetic.     It    be- 


BY    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  321 

comes  a  sort  of  flaming  sword  in  the  soul,  and  keeps  it 
in  the  way  of  life.  Accordingly,  on  this  principle,  no 
man,  who  has  a  dull  and  sleepy  conscience,  a  rough  and 
blunted  edge  of  moral  perceptivity,  is  at  liberty  to  say 
that  he  is  guided  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Third.  When  we  are  led  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  there 
will  be  a  subdued,  tranquil,  and  well-regulated  state  of 
the  natural  sensibilities,  in  distinction  from  the  moral  sen- 
sibilities or  conscience  ;  that  is  to  say,  of  the  various 
appetites,  the  propensive  principles,  and  the  afl'ections.  It 
is  well  understood,  that  when  we  are  led  by  the  world  or 
by  Satan,  the  various  natural  propensities  and  affections 
which  constitute  what  we  understand  by  the  natural 
sensibilities  are,  in  general,  ill  regulated,  agitated,  and 
turbulent.  A  really  worldly  man  is  either  externally  or 
internally  an  agitated  man  ;  generally  in  movement,  and 
generally  discordant  with  himself;  resembling  the  trou- 
bled sea,  and  casting  up  to  the  surface  of  his  spirit  mire 
and  dirt.  On  the  contrary,  he  who  is  led  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  with  the  exception  of  those  occasional  agitations 
arising  from  purely  instinctive  impulses,  which  do  not 
recognize  the  control  of  reason  and  the  will,  is  always 
subdued,  patient,  quiet.  His  natural  propensities,  which, 
in  persons  who  have  not  experienced  the  same  grace,  are 
so  turbulent  and  violent,  run  peaceably  and  appropriately 
in  the  channels  which  God  has  assigned  to  them.  His 
natural  affections,  which  so  often  become  the  masters 
and  tyrants  of  the  mind,  submit  to  the  authority  of  con- 
science and  the  will.  The  inroads  and  shocks  of  the 
heaviest  afllictions  pass  over  him,  and  leave  his  inward 
submission  and  his  peace  unbroken.  A  divine  tranquil- 
lity is  written  upon  the  emotions  and  desires  —  upon  the 
affections  that  linger  upon  the  past,  and  upon  the  hopes 
that  move  onward  to  the  future.  In  this  respect,  being 
under  this  divine  and  transcendent  teaching,  he  is  like 
his  heavenly  Father.  The  Infinite  Mind  is  always 
tranquil. 

Fourth.  We  remark,  again,  that  the  teachings  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  will  have  a  tendency  to  beautify  and  perfect 


322  EVIDENCES    OF    BEING    GUIDED 

the  outward  manner,  as  well  as  the  inward  experience. 
And  accordingly  he  who  is  truly  under  this  divine  direc- 
tion will  always  find  his  conduct  characterized  by  the 
utmost  decency,  propriety,  and  true  courteousness.  I 
believe  it  is  a  common  remark,  that  a  truly  devout  and 
holy  person  may,  in  general,  be  easily  recognized  by  the 
outward  manner.  And  this  remark,  which  is  confirmed 
by  experience,  has  its  foundation  in  nature.  The  natu- 
ral life,  which  is  inordinately  full  of  self,  and  is  often 
prompted  in  its  movements  by  passion,  pride,  and  preju- 
dice, will  of  course  develop  itself  in  an  outward  manner 
as  extravagant,  inconsistent,  and  imperfect,  as  the  in- 
ward source  from  which  it  springs.  Hence  it  is  that  we 
so  often  see,  in  the  intercourse  of  man  with  man,  so 
much  that  shocks  our  notions  of  propriety  ;  so  much,  in 
word  or  in  action,  that  is  characterized  by  violence  or 
levity  ;  so  much  that  is  unsuitable  to  the  time  and  place. 
But  he,  on  the  contrary,  in  whom  the  natural  life  is  slain, 
and  in  the  centre  of  whose  heart  the  Holy  Spirit  has 
taken  up  his  residence,  to  inspire  it  with  truth  and  love, 
will  discover  an  outward  manner  as  true,  as  simple,  and 
as  beautiful,  as  the  inward  perfection  from  which  it  has 
its  origin.  A  voice  inspired  with  gentleness  and  love  ; 
a  countenance  not  only  free  from  the  distortions  of  pas- 
sion, but  radiant  with  inward  peace  ;  a  freedom  from  un- 
becoming gayety  and  thoughtless  mirth  ;  a  propriety  of 
expression  resulting  from  seriousness  of  character  ;  a  dis- 
position to  bear  meekly  and  affectionately  with  the  in- 
firmities of  others  ;  a  placid  self-possession  ;  an  unaffected 
but  strict  regard  to  the  proprieties  of  time,  place,  and 
station,  —  can  hardly  fail  to  impress  upon  the  outward 
beholder  a  conviction  of  the  purity  and  power  which 
dwell  within. 

Fifth.  We  proceed  to  say,  further,  that  he  who  is 
under  the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit  will  always  find 
himself  in  the  position  of  coincidence  and  union  with 
the  divine  providences.  He  will  not  only  be  in  harmo- 
ny with  whatever  is  true  and  beautiful  in  human  inter- 
course, but  there  'vill  also  be  no  jarring  and  no  points 


BY    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT,  323 

cf  discordant    contact    between    his    conduct   and    the 
unerring  consecution  of  providential  dispensations.     This 
will  be  sufficiently  obvious,  we  suppose,  after  what  has 
been  said  in  some  of  the  preceding  chapters,  without 
going  into  any  length  of  remark.     It  is  unquestionable 
that  the  will  of  God  is  made  known,  to  a  considerable 
extent,  in  his  providential  dealings.     Consequently,  the 
language   of  the  Holy  Spirit  will   never,   in  any  case^ 
contradict   the  correctly  interpreted  language  of  divine 
Providence.     On  the  contrary,  they  will  always  com- 
pletely, and,  as  they  have  but  one  author,  will  necessarily, 
harmonize.     To  illustrate  the  subject,  the  Holy  Spirit 
will  never  instruct  an  individual  to  give  to  religious  pur- 
poses a  certain  amount  of  property,  when  the  providence 
of  God,  by  taking  away  his  property,  has  rendered  the 
donation  an  impossibility.     Again,  the  Holy  Spirit  will 
never,  by  an  interior  teaching,  instruct  a  man  to  go  upon 
a  distant  missionary  enterprise,  when  at  the  same  time 
the  providence  of  God,  by  placing  him  on  a  bed  of  sick- 
ness, has  rendered  him  incapable  of  the  requisite  physical 
and  mental  exertion.     And  if  any  impressions  or  convic- 
tions, which  thus  involve  a  contradiction  of  the  voice  of 
the  Spirit  and  the  voice  of  Providence,  should  rest  upon 
the  mind  of  any  person,  he  may  be  assured  that  they 
come  from  a  wrong  source,  and  ought  to  be  rejected. 
We  assert,  therefore,  that  he  who  is  led  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  will  find  his  conduct  beautifully  harmonizing  with 
the  events  of  divine  providence,  as  they  daily  and  hourly 
develop  themselves.     In  other  words,  while  he  is  con- 
tinually led  by  the  inward  guidance  to  do  and  to  suffer 
the  divine  will,  he  always  finds  himself  acting  and  suf- 
fering in  cooperation  with  the  manifested  designs  and 
arrangements  of  God. 

Sixth.  He  who  is  led  by  the  Holy  Spirit  will  find 
his  conduct,  just  so  far  as  he  is  the  subject  of  this  divine 
guidance,  in  entire  harmony  with  the  teachings  of  the 
Scriptures.  It  has  already  been  intimated  that  the  voice 
of  the  Spirit  can  never  be  contradictory  to  itself.  And 
accordingly,  havuig  spoken  in  the. Scriptures,  it  can  never 


334  EVIDENCES    OF    BEING    GUIDED 

contradict  what  it  has  there  said  by  any  interior  revela- 
tion to  individual  minds.  If,  for  instance,  the  Scriptures, 
dictated  by  the  divine  Spirit,  have,  for  wise  and  adequate 
purposes,  authorized  and  required  the  specific  observance 
of  the  Lord's  day,  and  have  authorized  and  required  the 
setting  apart  of  the  ministry,  or  have  recognized  and 
established  other  institutions  and  ordinances,  it  would 
be  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  the  same  Spirit,  in 
contradiction  to  himself,  will  guide  individual  minds  to 
a  disregard  and  contempt  of  those  institutions.  And  in 
like  manner,  if  the  Bible,  in  any  case  of  specific  and 
personal  action,  requires  a  thing  either  to  be  done  or  to 
be  omitted  to  be  done,  the  Holy  Spirit,  operating  on  ni- 
dividual  minds,  will  teach  the  same  thing,  and  will 
always  lead  the  subject  of  his  operations  to  the  perform- 
ance in  the  one  case,  and  to  the  omission  in  the  other. 
And  in  all  cases  whatever,  as  the  Holy  Spirit  speaking 
in  the  heart,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  speaking  in  the  Bible, 
necessarily  utter  the  same  voice,  they  will  necessarily,  in 
their  ultimate  tendencies,  lead  to  the  same  result. 

And  we  may  remark  further,  in  connection  with  what 
has  now  been  said,  that  he  who  is  led  by  the  Spirit  will 
love  to  be  led  by  the  Spirit.  It  will  be  his  delight. 
And  under  the  influence  of  this  divine  attraction,  he  will 
earnestly  strive  to  ascertain  the  mind  of  the  Spirit.  And 
consequently,  he  will  be  led  to  the  Bible,  as  oiie  of  the 
most  valuable  means  of  ascertaining  it ;  he  will  read  it 
much  ;  he  will  read  it  with  seriousness,  candor,  and 
prayer ;  that  he  may  know  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
divine  communications  which  are  there  made.  And  the 
pleasing  and  important  result  will  be,  that  his  life  will 
be  characterized  by  the  same  traits  of  submission  and 
love,  of  regard  for  the  divine  institutions  and  precepts, 
of  prompt  and  consistent  action  and  cf  mighty  faith, 
which  adorn  the  lives  of  those  of  whom  the  Scriptures 
give  us  an  account. 

Finally.  We  may  remark  in  conclusion,  and  as  in 
some  sense  embracing  the  whole  subject  :  It  is  an  evi-_ 
dence  that  a  person  is  guided  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  whose 


By    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT.  325 

w/iole  conduct,  whether  considered  in  its  particulars  or 
in  its  general  outline,  has  a  distinctly  favorable  bearing 
on  the  promotion  of  God's  glory  in  the  world.  The  end 
of  all  things  is  the  glory  of  God.  In  the  promotion  of 
this  great  object,  God  the  Holy  Ghost  cooperates  with 
God  the  Father  and  God  the  Son.  The  Holy  Ghost, 
therefore,  recognizes  and  enforces  the  great  truth  that  all 
subordinate  tendencies,  that  all  inferior  and  private  inter- 
ests, whenever  they  receive  a  corrected  and  sanctified 
direction,  will  always  conve/ge  to  the  same  centre,  and 
will  never  reach  their  terminus,  if  we  may  so  express  it, 
except  in  the  bosom  of  the  adorable  Infinite.  To  '.his 
great  result  all  his  interior  and  individual  teachings  in- 
fallibly tend.  To  know  all  things,  and  to  love  all  things, 
in  God  ;  to  annihilate  self  in  all  the  various  form.s  of 
creature-love  and  of  self-will,  and  to  make  God  the 
great  centre  of  our  being  ;  this  only  is  true  wisdom  and 
everlasting  life.  He,  therefore,  who  is  led  by  the  tur.ch- 
ings  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  will  be  taught  that  he  riust 
think  for  God,  feel  for  God,  will  for  God,  act  for  (led; 
and  that  the  great  reality  of  God,  which  is  the  tru^j  be- 
ginning and  completion  of  all  religious  life,  must  Lr 
received  into  the  soul  as  the  paramount  motive  ;  f  id 
with  a  power  to  expel  all  subordinate  motives,  ana  to 
reign  there  forever  with  supreme  dominion. 

Such  are  some  of  the  marks  by  which  thost'-  may  be 
known  who  are  led  by  the  Divine  Spirit.  Tiiese  are  a 
HIDDEN  people.  They  have  intimacy  with  the  Highest ; 
but  they  are,  nevertheless,  the  little  ones,  that  are  almost 
unknown  among  men.  Rational  with  the  highest  de- 
gree of  rationality,  scrupulously  conscientious,  ever  desi- 
rous to  learn  the  will  of  God  as  manifested  in  his  Word 
and  providences,  modest  and  sincerely  couiieous  and 
becoming  in  then*  intercourse  with  their  fellow-men,  and 
governed  under  all  circumstances  by  a  suprem-.:  regard  to 
God's  glory,  they  pass  calmly  and  devoutly  t-irough  the 
world,  blessed  in  themselves  and  a  blesshi;^,  to  others. 
And  yet  the  people  of  the  world,  blinded  by  heir  unbe^ 
lief,  but  little  know  and  little  value  that  int(  lor  instrur- 
2« 


326      EVIDENCES  OF  BEING  GUIDED  BY  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT 

tion,  by  which  they  are  thus  guided  to  the  illuminated 
heights  of  evangelical  perfection.  Happy  is  he  who  is 
led,  not  by  mere  sights  and  sounds ;  not  by  strange  and 
momentary  impressions,  which  may  come  from  the  dis- 
ordered senses,  from  the  world,  or  from  the  devil ;  but 
by  that  clear  light  which  illuminates  the  intellect,  the 
conscience,  and  the  heart ;  which  is  ever  consistent  with 
itself  and  with  God's  Word  and  providences;  and 
which  has,  in  reality,  for  its  author,  the  Comforter,  the 
Holy  Ghost. 


«•  Eternal  Spirit !  God  of  truth  ! 

Our  contrite  hearts  inspire  ; 
Kindle  the  flame  of  heavenly  love, 

And  feed  the  pure  desire. 

**  'Tis  thine  to  soothe  the  sorrowing  mind, 
With  guilt  and  fear  oppressed  ; 

Tis  thine  to  bid  the  dying  live, 
And  give  the  weary  rest." 


327 


CHAPTER    SEVENTH. 

ON    THi:    STATE    OF   INWARD   RECOLLECTION. 


I  BELIEVE  it  is  the  case  that  all  those,  who  have  had 
much  experience  in  the  principles  and  methods  of  inte- 
rior living,  agree  in  attaching  a  very  great  importance  to 
the  state  of  inward  recollection.  It  is  certainly  diffi- 
cult to  meet  the  crosses  and  trials  of  life  with  composure, 
and  to  sustain  the  soul  on  other  occasions  in  purity  and 
peace,  without  the  aid  of  inwardly  recollected  habits  of 
mind.  However  sincere  may  be  our  desire  for  entire 
devotedness  of  heart,  and  whatever  resolutions  we  may 
form  with  that  view,  Ave  shall  often  find  ourselves  in 
confusion  of  spirit,  and  inadvertently  failing  in  the  ful- 
filment of  our  own  resolutions,  without  this  important 
aid. 

Inward  recollection  is  that  serious  and  collected 
state  of  mind,  in  which  God  is  realized  and  felt  as  the 
inward  and  present  counsellor,  guide,  and  judge  of  all 
our  actions,  both  internal  and  external.  In  its  results, 
when  it  becomes  the  fixed  habit  of  the  soul,  it  not  only 
restores  God  to  the  inward  possession,  and  establishes 
him  upon  the  throne  of  the  intellect  and  heart,  but, 
differing  from  that  condition  in  which  he  comes  in 
broken  and  fragmentary  visits,  it  sustains  him  there  es- 
sentially, without  interruption,  in  what  may  be  termed  a 
continuance  or  perpetuity  of  presence.  In  a  word,  it  is 
the  devoutly  and  practically  realized  presence  of  God  in 
the  soul,  moment  by  moment.  This  is  the  state  of  mind 
which  we  cannot  hesitate  in  saying  all  Christians  ought 
to  be  in.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say,  that  it  is' a  scrip- 
tural state  of  mind.     It  is  obviously  implied  and  taught 


328  ON    THE    STATE    OF 

in  those  numerous  passages  of  Scripture,  which  inculcate 
the  duty  of  watchfuhiess,  which  speak  of  setting  the 
Lord  always  before  us,  of  walking  with  God,  and  of  our 
inability  to  do  any  thing  without  him.  And  it  is  not 
more  agreeable  to  God's  Word  than  it  is  suited  to  man's 
condition  ;  not  more  scriptural  than  it  is  necessary.  We 
need  it  in  order  to  know  what  to  do.  We  need  it  in 
order  to  do  what  is  proper  and  necessary  to  be  done,  in 
a  just,  Christian,  and  holy  manner.  We  need  it  in  all 
times  and  places,  and  in  small  things  as  well  as  great ; 
since  there  are  no  times  and  places  from  which  God 
ought  to  be  excluded,  and  nothing  is  so  small,  that  it 
may  not  have  great  and  important  relations. 

It  will  be  objected,  perhaps,  that  the  state  of  inward 
recollection,  considered  as  a  state  of  long  continuance, 
and  still  more  as  perpetual,  is  an  impracticable  one. 
Whatever  it  may  be  to  others,  (and  undoubtedly  it  is  a 
state  of  mind  which  is  never  experienced  either  in  the 
absence  of  religion  or  in  a  low  state  of  religion,)  it  is 
certainly  not  impracticable  to  a  person  of  a  truly  devout 
spirit.  But  how  can  it  be  possible,  says  the  objector, 
inasmuch  as  the  religious  life  is  made  up,  in  a  great  de- 
gree, of  specific  religious  duties,  that  a  person  can  give 
the  attention  of  his  mind  to  those  duties,  and  be  occu- 
pied with  the  distinct  idea  of  God  at  the  same  time  ? 
The  difficulty  which  is  implied  in  this  objection,  what- 
ever may  be  its  reality  or  its  extent,  is  met  and  obviated, 
at  least  for  all  practical  purposes,  by  an  acknowledged 
law  of  our  mental  nature.  We  refer  to  the  principle  or 
law  of  habit.  By  means  of  this  law,  the  rapidity  of  the 
mental  action  may  be  increased  to  a  degree  almost  in- 
conceivable ;  so  much  so  that  actions,  which  are  distinct 
in  time,  will  appear  to  be  simultaneous ;  and  objects, 
which  are  separately  attended  to,  will  appear  to  be  em- 
braced in  one  mental  view.  And  so  far  as  all  practical 
purposes  are  concerned,  the  acts  of  the  mind,  which 
thus  separately  and  successively  take  place,  may  be  truly 
regarded  as  one  act.  And  applying  this  law  to  the 
b^.ate  of  inward  recollection,  wo  may  easily  see  how  th" 


INUAivD    RECOLLECTION.  32S 

mind  may  be  occupied  with  a  specific  duty,  and  may  at 
the  same  time  be  percipient  of  the  divine  presence,  and 
may  also  connect  the  two  together,  and  impart  to  them  a 
character  of  unity,  so  that  the  duty  may  properly  be 
said  to  be  done  in  a  religiously-recollected  state.  The 
movement  of  the  mind  in  relation  to  the  duty,  and  then 
in  relation  to  God  as  cognizant  of  the  duty,  and  the 
transition  from  one  to  the  other,  are  all  so  exceedingly 
rapid,  that  memory  does  not  ordinarily  separate  and 
recognize  them  as  distinct  acts  ;  and  thus,  in  our  appre- 
hension and  consciousness  of  them,  they  are  blended 
together  as  one.  God,  therefore,  in  our  mental  contem- 
plation of  him,  may  be  made  present  to  all  our  specific 
.  duties  ;  and  thus  the  essential  condition  is  fulfilled,  which 
enables  the  mind  to  exist  in  the  state  of  inward  recol- 
lection. It  is  our  privilege,  therefore,  —  a  privilege  too 
often  undervalued  and  neglected,  —  to  do  every  thing 
which  Christian  duty  requires,  as  in  the  divine  pres- 
ence, IN  God  and  for  God.  We  proceed  now  to  specify 
some  of  those  antecedent  conditions  or  tendencies  of 
mind,  which  may  properly  be  regarded  as  preparatory, 
and  even  indispensable,  to  the  state  of  inward  rec- 
ollection. 

(I.)  In  the  first  place,  there  must  be  a  sincere  and 
earnest  desire  to  possess  it.  This  eminent  grace,  with- 
out which  the  kingdom  of  God  in  the  soul  will  be  liable 
to  constant  irruptions  and  overthrows,  will  never  be 
possessed  by  a  heart  that  is  indifferent  to  its  possession. 
It  can  belong  to  those,  and  those  only,  who,  with  a  sin- 
cere disposition  to  seek  God  in  all  things,  can  be  truly 
said  to  "  hunger  and  thirst  after  righteousness." 

(II.)  In  the  second  place,  in  order  to  possess  recollec- 
tion of  spirit,  it  will  be  necessary  not  to  be  involved, 
to  an  undue  extent,  in  the  perplexities  of  worldly  busi- 
ness. There  is  such  a  thing  as  admitting  so  much  of 
the  world  and  its  cares  into  the  mind,  as  to  crowd  out 
the  great  idea  of  God.  Indeed,  this  is  often  done.  And 
thus  men,  and  some  of  them,  too,  who  occasionally  ob- 
serve the  formalities  of  religion,  become  practical  athe- 
28* 


330  ON    THE    STATE    OF 

ists.  I  notice,  in  reading  the  religious  writings  of  An- 
tonia  Bourignon,  that  she  expresses  her  opinion  to  one 
of  her  correspondents,  that  God  had  sent  a  certain  afflic- 
tion upon  him,  in  order  to  bring  him  to  the  state  of 
mind  which  we  are  now  considering.  "  The  multitude 
of  your  comings  and  goings,"  she  remarks  among  other 
things,  ''  and  other  agitations  of  body,  do,  without  doubt, 
disturb  the  inward  recollection.  It  is  impossible  to 
converse  purely  with  God,  [that  is  to  say,  when  we  per- 
mit them  to  have  their  natural  effect  upon  us,]  in  the 
midst  of  external  agitations."  And  again  she  says,  in 
writing  to  another  person,  "  If  you  could  but  proceed  in 
this  affair,  keeping  your  spirit  recollected  in  God,  I  doubt 
not  but  it  would  succeed  to  his  glory  and  your  great  good. 
I  speak  alwa^^s  of  this  recollection;  because  I  myself 
can  do  nothing  out  of  it.  God's  spirit  is  a  well-regula- 
ted, orderly  spirit,  which  proceeds  with  temperance,  and 
weight,  and  measure,  and  discretion,  ivithout  any  man- 
ner of  precipitation.''^  * 

(III.)  In  the  third  place,  in  order  to  possess  inward 
recollection,  we  are  to  have  nothing  to  do,  as  a  general 
rule,  in  thought  or  in  feeling,  or  in  any  other  way,  with 
any  thing  but  the  present  moment,  and  its  natural  and 
necessary  relations.  Discursive  thoughts  of  a  flighty 
and  purely  imaginative  character  — either  going  back  to 
the  past,  for  the  mere  purpose  of  drawing  pleasure  from 
it,  or  prospective  and  anticipative  of  the  future  in  the 
manner  of  an  idle  man's  reverie  —  are  great  hinderances 
to  a  recollected  state.  We  are,  in  that  way,  rather  pleas- 
ing ourselves  than  God  ;  and  the  divine  presence  cannot 
well  be  secured  at  such  times.  In  other  words,  as  a 
general  rule,  there  must  be  before  us  some  present  object ; 
and  that  object  must  be  regarded  by  us  particularly  in  its 
moral  aspect  and  relations.  The  present  moment  is  ne- 
cessarily, to  a  certain  extent,  a  declaration  of  the  divine 
will,  and  furnishes  the  basis  of  present  duty.  And  it 
IS  the  duty  of  the  present  moment,  considered  in    its 

*   Bourignon's  Light  in  Darkness,  pp.  12,  132 


INWARD    RECOLLECTION.  331 

moral  extension,  to  which,  and  to  which  only,  God  wil'. 
consent  to  be  a  party. 

(IV.)  It  may  be  added,  further,  that  the  state  of  mind 
which  we  are  considering  will  not  be  likely  to  be  pos- 
sessed without  great  fixedness  of  purpose  ;  a  holy  inflex- 
ibility of  will,  which  keeps  the  mind  steady  to  its  object. 
We  must  not  only  wish  to  be  the  Lord's  in  this  matter, 
but  resolve  to  be  so.  It  is  well  understood  that  even 
worldly  objects,  restricted  as  they  are  in  compass  and 
importance,  cannot,  in  general,  be  satisfactorily  accom- 
plished by  an  unfixed  and  vacillating  mind.  And  still 
less  can  the  vast  objects  of  religion.  I  know,  if  the 
great  object  of  interior  recollection  is  proposed  to  be  se- 
cured by  the  mere  labor  of  the  will  alone,  without  the 
cooperation  of  the  aflfections,  it  will  be  hard  work,  and 
useless  work  too.  And,  on  the  other  hand,  a  favorable 
posture  of  the  affections  will  be  of  but  little  avail,  un- 
less the  desires  and  inclinations  are  aided  by  the  super- 
added energy  of  a  fixed  determination.  But  when  the 
decisive  and  uncompromising  act  of  the  will  combines  its 
influence  with  that  of  the  aspirorions  of  the  heart,  the 
most  favorable  results  may,  with  the  grace  of  God,  be 
reasonably  expected.  It  is  true,  without  the  grace  of 
God  nothing  can  be  done,  whatever  may  be  the  applica- 
tions and  discipline  of  the  mind.  But  when  the  condi- 
tions which  have  been  mentioned  are  fulfilled,  the  di- 
vine assistance,  if  we  may  rely  upon  the  promises,  can 
never  be  wanting. 

(1.)  It  has  already  been  intimated,  that  the  state  of 
mind  to  which  our  attention  has  been  directed  is  one 
of  great  practical  importance.  And  we  proceed,  there- 
fore, to  observe  now,  that  one  of  the  benefits  connected 
with  the  state  of  inward  recollection  is,  that  it  is  favor- 
able to  the  best  improvement  of  time.  It  will  be  a  mat- 
ter of  course,  that  the  person  who  lives  in  religious  recol- 
lection will  avoid  unnecessary  employments.  With  the 
idea  of  God,  and  perhaps  we  may  add  with  the  reality 
of  God,  continually  present  in  his  heart,  scrutinizing 
every  motive  and  actio  \,  and  continually  enforcing  the 


332  ON    THE    STATE    OF 

claims  of  moral  obligation,  he  will  find  no  time  to  be 
spent  idly,  nor  for  the  mere  purposes  of  pleasure.  Nor 
can  he  under  such  circumstances  be  the  subject  of  inter- 
nal dissipation  ;  of  vain  and  wandering  imaginations 
and  reveries;  but  will  be  enabled,  to  a  degree  unknown 
before,  to  bring  every  thought,  as  well  as  every  feeling, 
into  subjection.  In  order  to  prevent  misapprehension, 
it  may  properly  be  added  here,  that  whatever  recreation 
of  body  or  mind,  either  by  social  intercourse  or  in  any 
ether  way,  is  really  required  by  the  physical  and  mental 
constitution  and  laws,  is  entirely  consistent  with  duty 
and  with  inward  recollection  —  a  remark,  however, 
which  requires,  in  its  practical  application,  no  small 
share  of  wisdom. 

(2.)  Again,  the  state  of  inward  recollection  tends  to 
diminish  greatly  the  occasions  of  temptation.  It  is  very 
obvious  that  he  who  knows  nothing  but  his  present  duty 
in  itself  and  in  its  relations,  which  is  all  that  is  necessary 
for  him  to  know,  cannot  be  so  much  exposed  in  this 
respect  as  other  persons.  Unspeakable  dangers  must, 
of  necessity,  beset  the  mind  which  is  full  of  worldly 
activity,  and  which  is  continually  discursive — running 
upon  errands  where  it  is  not  called  ;  curiously  and  un- 
necessarily speculative ;  prying  oftentimes,  with  micro- 
scopic minuteness,  into  the  concerns  of  others,  not  only 
without  reason,  but  against  reason.  What  a  flood  of 
tempting  thoughts  must  flow  out  upon  these  various  occa- 
sions, and  throng  around  the  mind  !  what  suggestions, 
which  Satan  knows  well  when  and  where  to  apply,  to 
envy,  distrust,  anger,  pride,  worldly  pleasure,  ambition  ! 
none  of  which  probably  would  have  approached  the 
mind  that  remained  recollected  in  God. 

(3.)  Another  remark  is,  that  inward  recollection  helps 
us  to  know  the  truth,  especially  moral  truth.  The 
supreme  desire  of  him  who  has  fully  given  his  heart,  to 
God,  is,  not  merely  that  he  may  be  happy,  and  thus  please 
himself,  but  that  he  may  know  and  do  God's  will. 
Knowledge,  therefore,  (we  do  not  mean  all  kinds  of 
knowledge  but  particularly  that  which  has  velatiop  to 


imVARD     RECOLLECTION.  333 

the  divine  will,)  is  obviously  of  the  greatest  conse- 
quence ;  and  those  will  know  most  who  are  the  most 
recollected.  The  truth  opens  itself  to  the  mind,  that 
faithfully  perseveres  in  the  state  of  inward  recollection, 
with  remarkable  clearness  ;  and  the  reason,  in  part,  is, 
because  the  mind,  in  a  religiously-recollected  state, 
ceases  to  be  agitated  by  the  passions.  "  The  light  of 
God,"  says  the  writer  already  referred  to,  "  shines  as  the 
sun  at  noonday  ;  but  our  passions,  like  so  many  thick 
clouds  opposed  to  it,  are  the  reason  that  we  cannot  per- 
ceive it.  Love,  hatred,  fear,  hope,  grief,  joy,  and  other 
vicious  passions,  filling  our  soul,  blind  it  in  such  a 
manner  that  it  sees  nothing  but  what  is  sensible  and 
suitable  to  it ;  refusing  all  that  is  contrary  to  its  own 
inclinations  ;  and  being  thus  filled  with  itself,  it  is  not 
capable  of  receiving  the  light  of  God."  *  Now,  there 
can  be  no  question  that  inward  recollection  secures  the 
soul  in  a  most  remarkable  degree  from  mordinate  pas- 
sions. Such  passions  cannot  well  flourish  with  the  eye 
of  God  distinctly  looking  upon  them.  And  accordingly, 
under  such  circumstances,  the  illuminative  suggestions 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  readily  enter  the  mind,  and  operate 
in  it,  and  reveal  the  divine  will ;  so  that  he  who  walks 
in  recollection  may  reasonably  expect  to  walk  in  tha 
light  of  true  knowledge  and  of  a  divine  guidance. 

And  not  only  this,  inward  recollection  tends  to  con- 
centrate, and  consequently  to  strengthen  very  much,  the 
action  of  the  intellectual  powers.  It  does  this,  in  part, 
and  indirectly,  by  disburdening  the  mind  of  those  wan- 
dering thoughts,  and  unnecessary  cares  and  excitements, 
which,  with  scarcely  any  exception,  overrun  the  minds  of 
those  who  do  not  live  in  a  recollected  state. 

(4.)  Another  favorable  result,  connected  with  the 
habit  of  inward  recollection,  is  that,  by  confining  the 
mind  to  the  present  moment,  and  retaining  God  in  the 
position  of  a  present  counsellor  and  guide,  it  prevents 
the  exercise  of  reflex  and  selfish  acts  on  the  past,  and 

*  Bourignon-'s  Light  in  Darkness,  p.  14. 


334 


ON    THE     STATE    OF 


also  undue  and  selfish  calculations  for  the  future.  Self, 
if  we  permit  it,  will  either  secretly  or  openly  find  nour- 
ishment every  where  ;  and  every  where,  therefore,  we 
are  to  fight  against  it,  overcome  it,  slay  it.  When  the 
past  is  gone,  and  we  are  conscious  that  we  have  done 
our  duty  in  it,  if  we  would  not  have  the  life  of  self  im- 
bibing strength  from  that  source,  we  must  leave  it  with 
God  in  simplicity  of  spirit,  and  not  suffer  it  to  furnish 
food  either  for  vanity  or  disheartening  regrets.  We  should 
avoid  also  all  undue  and  selfish  calculations  for  the  fu- 
ture, such  as  continually  agitate  and  distract  the  minds 
of  the  people  of  the  world ;  and  indeed  all  thoughts 
and  anticipations  of  a  prospective  character,  which  do 
not  flow  out  of  the  facts  and  the  relations  of  the  present 
moment,  and  which  are  not  sanctified  by  a  present 
divine  inspection.  "  Happy  is  the  man,"  says  Fenelon, 
"who  retains  nothing  in  his  mind  but  what  is  neces- 
sary, and  who  only  thinks  of  each  thing  just  when  it  is 
the  time  to  think  of  it ;  so  that  it  is  rather  God,  who  ex- 
cites the  perception  and  idea  of  it  by  an  impression  and 
discovery  of  his  will  which  we  must  perform,  than  the 
mind's  being  at  the  trouble  to  forecast  and  find  it."  * 
To  these  important  results  there  can  be  no  question 
that  the  habit  of  inward  recollection  is  exceedingly 
favorable. 

(5.)  Again,  we  have  good  reason  for  supposing  that 
the  state  of  mind  under  consideration  is  eminently  pro- 
pitious to  the  spirit  and  practice  of  prayer.  There  cer- 
tainly can  be  no  acceptable  prayer  without  a  considerable 
degree  of  recollection.  And  the  requirement  that  we 
should  "  pray  without  ceasing,"  seems  almost  necessa- 
rily to  imply  that  we  should  always  be  in  a  recollected 
state.  "He  who  is  always  dissipated,"  says  a  certain 
writer,  "  like  a  house  open  to  all  comers  and  goers,  is 
very  unfit  for  prayer.  He  that  will  never  pray  but  in 
the  hour  that  calls  him  to  it,  will  never  do  it  well.     Bu» 

*  Fenelon's  Directions  for  a  Holy  Jjife. 


INWARD    RECOLLECTION.  335 

he  that  would  succeed  in  this  great  exercise  ought,  by 
continual  recollection,  to  keep  himself  always  ready, 
and  in  an  actual  disposition  for  praying."* 

Finally.  One  of  the  great  excellences  of  the  state  of 
inward  recollection  is,  that  it  gives  us  the  place  of  cen- 
tral observation  and  power  —  the  key,  if  we  may  so  ex- 
press it,  to  the  position  of  the  religious  life  ;  and  enables 
us  to  exercise  an  effective  control  over  its  whole  broad 
extent ;  that  is  to  say,  it  places  us  in  the  most  favorable 
position  to  discover  and  meet  the  attacks  of  our  spiritual 
adversaries,  and  also  to  render  our  own  movements  and 
efforts  fully  available.  However  well  disposed  may  be 
our  intentions,  whatever  good  purposes  we  may  have 
formed,  whatever  may  be  the  formality  and  solemnity 
of  our  recorded  resolutions,  they  will  ever  be  found  in  a 
great  degree  useless,  without  this  aid.  It  will  be  in 
vain  to  think  of  living  a  life  of  true  religion,  a  life  in 
which  God  himself  is  the  inspiring  element,  without  a 
present,  permanent,  and  realizing  sense  of  his  presence. 
It  is,  therefore,  not  without  a  good  degree  of  reason  that 
the  pious  Cecil  has  remarked,  that  "  recollection  is 
the  life  of  religion." 

*  Letter  of  Instruction  on  Christian  Perfection,  by  Francis  de  la 
Combe. 


336 


CHAPTER   EIGHTH. 


ON  THE  INU  ARD  UTTERANCE,  OR  THE  VOICE  OF  GUU 
IN  THE  SOUL. 


"  I  LAID  my  request  before  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord 
answered  me."  This  is  a  remark  which  is  frequently 
made  by  persons  of  eminent  piety.  They  cannot  doubt 
that  they  truly  hold  communication  with  God.  Ad- 
dressing him  either  in  silence  or  the  spoken  utterance 
of  words,  they  find  that  they  do  not  ask  without  receiv- 
ing.    God  speaks  to  them  in  return. 

It  is  important  to  understand  the  nature  of  the  an- 
swers which  God  gives.  In  those  earlier  religious  dis- 
pensations, of  which  we  have  an  account  in  the  Old 
Testament,  God  answered  hfs  people  in  various  ways; 
by  visible  signs,  by  the  cloud  and  the  fire,  by  Urim  and 
Thummira,  by  miracles,  by  audible  voices.  The  periods 
of  those  dispensations  have  passed  away,  and  the  meth- 
ods of  communication,  which  were  appropriate  to  them, 
nave  passed  away  also.  What  are  we  to  understand, 
then,  by  the  divine  utterance,  —  the  voice  of  God  in  the 
soul,  —  of  which  those  persons,  who  are  eminently  pious 
at  the  present  time,  have  frequent  occasion  to  speak  ? 

We  remark,  in  the  first  place,  that  one  class  of  those 
inward  utterances,  which  are  frequently  regarded  as  re- 
turns or  answers  from  God,  appear  to  be  impressions,  or 
rather  suggested  thoughts,  or  suggestions,  which  are 
suddenly  but  distinctly  originated  in  the  mind,  and  ap- 
parently from  some  cause  independent  of  the  mind  itself. 
Sometimes  the  suggestion  consists  in  suddenly  bringing 
to  the  mind  a  particular  passage  of  Scripture,  which  is 
received  as  the  divine  answer. 


ON    THE    VOICK    Oi     GOD     IN    THE    SOUL.  337 

Sometimes  the  suggestion  consists  in  the  sudden 
origination  of  new  ideas,  or  truths  in  a  new  form  of 
words ;  but  truths  so  remarkable,  either  in  their  origin 
or  in  their  appHcation,  that  we  are  disposed  to  regard 
them  as  the  inward  intimations  and  the  voice  of  God. 
Of  the  frequent  existence  of  such  inward  and  sudden 
suggestions  or  impressions,  we  suppose  there  can  be  no 
reasonable  doubt.  It  is  well  understood,  and  seems  to 
be  placed  beyond  question,  that  they  make  a  portion  ot 
the  internal  nistory  of  many  pious  persons. 

A  few  remarks  may  properly  be  made  on  this  class  of 
inward  voices;  and  one  is,  that  sudden  suggestions  or 
impressions  may  have,  and  that  they  do  sometimes  have, 
a  natural  origin.  The  natural  man,  as  well  as  the  re- 
ligious man,  will  sometimes  tell  us  that  he  has  had  an 
unexpected  or  remarkable  suggestion  or  impression.  In 
the  treatises  which  exist  on  the  subject  of  disordered 
mental  action,  the  existence  of  frequent  and  sudden 
impressions,  such  as  have  been  described,  is  laid  down, 
and  apparently  with  good  reason,  because  the  results 
have  justified  it,  as  one  of  the  marks  of  an  incipient 
state  of  insanity.  Another  remark,  which  it  may  be 
proper  to  make  here,  is  this :  It  is  a  common,  and  prob- 
ably a  well-founded  opinion,  that  sudden  inward  sug- 
gestions or  impressions  may  have,  and  that  they  do 
sometimes  have,  a  Satanic  origin.  If  Satan  is  permitted 
to  operate  upon  the  human  mind  at  all,  and  lead  it 
astray,  of  which  the  Scriptures  do  not  permit  us  to 
doubt,  it  is  certainly  a  reasonable  supposition,  that  he 
sometimes  makes  his  attacks  in  this  manner.  And 
especially  may  we  take  this  view,  when  we  consider 
that  he  is  a  spiritual  being,  and  would  more  naturally 
act  upon  the  spirit  or  minds  of  men  than  upon  the  body. 
A  third  remark  is,  that  the  sudden  suggestions  or  im- 
pressions which  we  are  considering  are  undoubtedly,  in 
some  instances,  from  a  truly  good  or  divine  source.  It 
is  hardly  reasonable  to  suppose  that  God  would  forbid 
himself  a  method  of  operat  on  on  the  human  mind 
which  he  allows  to  Satan,  and  which,  if  if  may  be  em- 


33S 


ON    THE    INWARD    UTTERANCE. 


ployed,  under  a  bad  direction,  to  a  bad  purpose,  is  also 
susceptible,  in  other  hands,  of  a  good  one.  We  may 
reasonably  conclude,  therefore,  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
sometimes  adopts  this  method  of  operation. 

It  remains  to  be  added  here,  that,  if  these  remarkable 
suggestions  may  arise  from  sources  so  various  and  dif- 
ferent, they  should  be  received  with  caution  ;  otherwiso 
we  may  be  led  astray  by  the  voice  of  nature  or  the 
voice  of  Satan,  believing  it  to  be  the  voice  of  our  heav- 
enly Father.  God  deals  with  us  as  rational  beings.  And 
it  is  a  consequence  of  God's  recognition  of  our  ration- 
ality, that  he  does  not  require  us  to  act  upon  sudden 
suggestions  or  impressions,  even  if  they  come  from  him- 
self, without  our  first  subjecting  them  to  the  scrutiny 
of  reason.  And  it  is  here  that  we  find  the  ground  of 
our  safety  in  respect  to  a  method  of  operation  upon  us 
which  otherwise  would  be  likely  to  be  full  of  danger. 
Accordingly,  when  a  sudden  suggestion  is  presented  to 
the  mind,  we  ought  to  delay  upon  it,  although  it  may 
seem,  at  first  sight,  to  require  an  immediate  action.  We 
should  compare  it  with  the  will  of  God,  as  revealed  in 
the  Bible.  We  should  examine  it  dispassionately  and 
deliberately,  with  the  best  lights  of  reason,  and  \vith  the 
assistance  of  prayer.  Indeed,  if  the  suggestion  comes 
from  God,  it  is  presented  with  this  very  object ;  not  to 
lead  us  to  action  without  judgment  and  without  reason, 
but  to  arouse  the  judgment  from  its  stupidity,  and  to 
put  it  upon  a  train  of  important  inquiry.  And  when 
this  is  done  in  a  calm  and  dispassionate  manner,  and 
with  sincere  desires  for  divine  direction,  we  have  good 
reason  to  believe  that  we  may  avoid  the  dangers  which 
have  been  referred  to,  by  detecting  those  suggestions 
V\''hich  are  from  an  evil  source,  and  may  realize  impor- 
tant benefits. 

But  we  ought  not  to  feel,  that,  in  our  inward  conver- 
sation with  God,  we  are  limited  to  such  occasions  as 
have  been  mentioned,  and  that  we  have  no  inward 
response,  except  by  means  of  sudden  and  remarkable 
impressions,  which  are  liable  to  the  'langers  ^vliich  have 


OR    THE    VOICE    OF    GOD    IN    THE     SOUL.  339 

been  indicated,  and  which  generally  exist  only  at  con- 
siderable intervals  from  each  other.  On  the  contrary, 
we  have  abundant  reason  for  saying  that  it  is  our  privi- 
lege always  to  be  conversing  with  God,  and  alwaj'-s  to 
receive  the  divine  answer.  It  is  a  great  truth,  —  almost 
as  evident  on  natural  as  it  nndoubtedly  is  evident  on 
scriptural  grounds,  —  that,  when  we  have  given  ourselves 
wholly  to  God,  he  will  give  himself  to  us  in  all  that  is 
necessary  and  important  for  us.  And  this  general  prin- 
ciple involves  the  subordinate  idea  that  he  is  willing  to 
communicate  knovv^ledge,  and  to  become  our  Teacher. 
We  ought  not  to  doubt  that  God  is  ready  to  speak  to  us 
with  all  the  kindness  of  a  Father,  and  to  make  known 
all  that  is  necessary  for  us.  And  while,  in  the  process 
of  teaching  and  guiding  men,  he  operates  outwardly, 
even  at  the  present  day,  by  means  of  his  written  Word^ 
he  also  operates  inwardly  by  means  of  interior  commu- 
nications ;  sometimes  by  sudden  suggestions,  in  the 
manner  which  has  already  been  mentioned ;  but  much 
more  frequently  and  satisfactorily,  by  availing  himselt 
of  the  more  ordinary  laws  of  the  mind's  acting,  and  by 
uttering  his  inward  voice  through  the  decisions  of  a 
spiritually-enlightened  judgment.  This  is  a  great  prac- 
tical and  religious  truth,  however  much  it  may  be  un- 
known in  the  experience  of  those  who  are  not  holy  in 
heart  —  that  the  decision  of  a  truly  sanctified  judgment 
is,  and  of  necessity  must  be,  the  voice  of  God  speaking 
in  the  soul. 

But  this  important  doctrine,  it  must  be  admitted,  re- 
quires to  be  correctly  and  thoroughly  understood.  It 
should  be  particularly  remembered  that  God  does  not 
and  cannot  speak  in  this  way,  unless  there  is  smcERiTy. 
And  by  sincerity  we  mean  a  sincere  desire  to  do  his 
will  in  all  things,  as  well  as  a  sincere  desire  to  know 
and  do  his  will  in  the  particular  thing  which  is  laid  be- 
fore him.  Such  sincerity,  which  may  be  regarded  as 
but  another  name  for  entire  consecration,  naturally  ex- 
cludes all  the  secret  biases  of  self-interest  and  prejudice, 
and  places  the  mind  in   the  position  most  favorable  for 


340  ON    THE    INWARD    UTTERANCE, 

the  admission  and  discovery  of  truth.  It  is  in  such  a 
mind,  and  not  in  a  mind  which  is  governed  by  worldly 
passions,  that  the  Holy  Ghost,  whose  office  it  is  to  guide 
men  into  all  necessary  truth,  loves  to  dwell.  We  may, 
therefore,  lay  down  the  general  principle,  that  the  de- 
cision of  a  spiritually-enlightened  judgment,  made  in  a 
state  of  entire  consecration  to  God's  will,  and  with  a 
sincere  desire  to  know  his  will,  may  justly  be  regarded 
as  a  divine  answer,  or  an  answer  from  God,  in  the  par- 
ticular matter  or  subject  in  relation  to  which  an  answei 
has  been  sought.  The  decision  of  the  judgment,  which 
is  arrived  at  in  such  a  state  of  freedom  from  self-interest 
and  passion,  and  under  the  secret  guidance  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  is  oftentimes  so  clear  and  so  prompt,  that  it  al 
most  seems  to  be  a  voice  audibly  speaking  in  the  soul. 
It  is  true,  however,  in  point  of  fact,  that  it  is  only  the 
inward  ear,  or  the  ear  of  faith,  and  not  the  outward  or 
bodily  ear,  which  is  spoken  to.  In  yielding  our  assent 
to  the  decisions  of  our  judgment,  we  have  faith,  undei 
all  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  and  especially  in  view 
of  the  promise  of  God  to  give  light  to  those  that  sin- 
cerely ask  him,  that  we  are  adopting  the  decisions  to 
which  our  heavenly  Father  would  lead  us ;  so  that  we 
may  confidently  say,  that  the  answer  of  the  judgment, 
in  connection  with  the  spirit  of  entire  consecration,  on 
the  one  hand,  and  of  entire  faith  in  God's  promises,  on 
the  other,  is  God's  answer ;  that  is  to  say,  is  the  answer 
which  God,  under  the  existing  circumstances,  sees  fit 
to  give,  whether  it  be  more  or  less  full  and  explicit. 
And  this  is  all  which  the  truly  humble  Christian  either 
expects  or  wishes  to  receive,  viz.,  such  an  answer,  be  it 
more  or  less,  as  God  sees  fit  to  give.  Even  if  he  is 
unable  to  come  to  a  specific  determination  on  the  sub- 
ject before  him,  he  still  feels  that  he  is  not  without  an 
inward  voice.  He  has  God's  answer  even  then  ;  viz., 
that,  under  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  God  has  no 
specific  communication  to  make,  and  that  he  requires 
him  to  exercise  the  humility  and  faith  appropriate  to  a 
state  of  ignorance.     And  this  response,  humbling  as  it 


OR    THE    VOICE    OF    GOD    IN    THE    SOUL.  34 

IS  to  the  pride  of  the  natural  heart,  he  truly  regards  as 
very  important,  and  as  entirely  satisfactory.  It  is  in 
this  method  —  a  method  which  appears  to  be  free  from 
dangers  —  that  God  ordinarily  answers  and  converses 
with  his  people. 

In  view  of  what  has  been  said,  we  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that  it  is  very  proper  for  pious  people,  especially 
for  those  whose  hearts  are  truly  sanctified,  to  speak  not 
only  of  laying  their  requests  before  God,  but  of  receiv- 
ing a  divine  answer.  It  is  not  improper  for  them  to 
speak,  if  it  is  done  with  a  suitable  degree  of  reverence, 
of  holding  conversation  idUJi  God  —  of  talking  loith 
God.  The  expressions  correspond  with  the  facts. 
To  talk  with  God ;  to  go  to  him  familiarly,  as 
children  to  a  parent ;  to  speak  to  him  in  the  Fecrecy  of 
their  spirits,  and  to  receive  an  inward  answer,  as  gra- 
cious as  it  is  decisive,  —  is  not  only  a  privilege  granted 
them,  but  a  privilege  practically  realized.  When,  there- 
fore, we  find,  in  the  memoirs  of  very  pious  persons,  as 
we  sometimes  do,  statements  and  accounts  of  their  hold- 
ing internal  conversations  with  God,  of  the  requests  they 
make,  and  of  the  answers  they  receive,  we  are  not  ne- 
cessarily to  regard  such  experiences  as  fanatical  or  de- 
ceitful. On  the  contrary,  we  think  it  impossible  for  a 
person  to  be  truly  and  wholly  the  Lord's,  without  fre- 
quently being  the  subject  of  this  inward  and  divine 
intercourse. 

29* 


342 


CHAPTER  NINTH. 


SPIRITUAL  BREAD,  OR  THE  DOCTRINE   OF  RECEIVING 
BY  FAITH. 


It  is  well  understood  that  we  must  pray  in  faith.  No 
petition  to  God,  which  is  not  attended  with  confidence 
in  his  character  and  his  Word,  can  be  acceptable  to  him. 
But  I  suppose  that  it  is  not  so  generally  understood  and 
recognized,  that,  in  most  cases,  we  must  receive  by  faith, 
as  well  as  pray  by  faith  ;  that  faith  is  as  necessary  in 
the  reception  of  the  thing  petitioned  for,  as  in  the  peti- 
tion itself. 

L  In  order  the  better  to  understand  this  subject, 
which  we  hope  will  throw  some  additional  light  upon 
the  important  doctrine  contained  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  last  chapter,  we  would  remark,  in  the  first  place, 
that  every  Christian,  who  humbly  and  sincerely  address- 
es his  Maker,  may  reasonably  expect  an  answer.  It 
does  not  well  appear  how  a  perfectly  just  and  holy  Being 
could  impose  on  his  creatures  the  duty  of  prayer,  with- 
out recognizing  the  obligation  of  returning  an  answer 
of  some  kind.  In  making  this  remark,  we  imply,  of 
course,  that  the  prayer  is  a  sincere  one.  An  insincere 
prayer,  just  so  far  as  insincerity  exists,  is  not  entitled  to 
be  regarded  as  prayer,  in  any  proper  sense  of  the  term. 
Our  first  position,  therefore,  is,  that  every  person  who 
utters  a  sincere  prayer  may  reasonably  expect  an  an- 
swer, and  that,  in  fact,  an  answer  always  is  given,  al- 
though it  is  not  always  understood  and  received.  And 
this  appears  to  be  entirely  in  accordance  with  the  Scrip- 
tures—  "Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  unto  you;  seek, 
and  ye  shall  find  ;  knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto 


SPIRITUAL.    BREAD,    OR    RECEIVING    BY    FAITH.  343 

you.  For  every  one  that  asketh  receiveth;  and  he 
that  seeketh  findeth  ;  and  to  him  that  knocketh  it  shall 
be  opened." 

II.  But  it  becomes  now  an  important  inquiry,  What 
s  the  true  and  just  answer  of  God  to  the  petitions  of 
his  people  ?  It  seems  to  ns  that  it  is,  and  it  cannot  be 
any  thing  else  than,  the  decision  of  his  own  inrinitely 
just  and  omniscient  mind,  that  he  will  give  to  the  sup- 
plicant, or  withhold,  just  as  he  sees  best.  In  other 
words,  the  true  answer  to  prayer  is  God's  deliberate 
purpose  or  will,  existing  in  connection  with  the  petition 
and  all  the  circumstances  of  the  petition.  But  some 
will  say,  perhaps,  that  on  this  system  we  sometimes  get 
our  answer,  without  getting  what  we  ask  for  ;  and  that 
God's  decision  may  not  correspond  with  our  own  desire. 
But  this  objection  is  met  by  a  moment's  consideration 
of  the  nature  of  prayer.  There  never  was  true  prayer, 
there  never  can  be  true  prayer,  which  does  not  recog- 
nize, either  expressly  or  by  implication,  an  entire  sub- 
mission to  the  divine  will.  The  very  idea  of  prayer 
implies  a  right  on  the  part  of  the  person  to  whom  the 
prayer  is  addressed,  either  to  give  or  to  withhold  the 
petition ;  and  the  existence  of  such  a  right  on  the  part 
of  God  implies  a  correlative  obligation  on  the  other 
party  to  submit  cheerfully  to  his  decisions.  To  ask 
absolutely,  without  submission  to  God's  will,  is  not  tc 
pray,  but  to  demand.  A  demand  is  as  different  from 
true  prayer,  as  an  humble  request  is  from  an  imperative 
order.  A  request  God  always  regards  ;  he  always  treats 
it  with  kindness  and  justice ;  but  a  demand  cannot  be 
properly  addressed  to  him,  nor  can  it  properly  be  re- 
ceived by  him.  The  true  model  of  the  spirit  of  suppli- 
cation, even  in  our  greatest  necessities,  is  to  be  found  in 
the  Savior's  prayer  at  the  time  of  his  agony  in  the  gar- 
den. "And  he  went  a  little  farther,  and  fell  on  his 
face,  and  prayed,  saying,  O  my  Father,  if  it  be  possible, 
let  this  cup  pass  from  me  ;  nevertheless,  not  as  I  will, 
hut  as  thou  tvilt.^^  Trre  prayer,  therefore,  —  that  prayer 
which  can  be  suitably  addressed  to  the  Supreme  Being 


344  SPIRITUAL    BREAD,    OR    THE 

and  that  which  it  is  suitable  for  an  imperfect  and  Hmited 
mind  to  offer,  —  always  involves  the  condition,  whether  it 
be  expressed  or  not,  that  the  petition  is  agreeable  to  the 
divine  wilh  This  condition  is  absolutely  essential  to 
the  nature  of  the  prayer.  There  is  no  acceptable  prayer, 
there  is  no  true  prayer,  without  it.  Such  being  the 
nature  of  the  prayer,  the  answer  to  the  prayer  will  cor- 
respond to  it,  viz.,  it  will  always  be  the  decision  of  the 
divine  mind,  whatever  that  decision  may  be,  made  up 
in  view  of  the  petition,  and  of  all  the  attendant  circum- 
stances. 

III.  The  next  inquiry  is,  How  are  we  to  receive 
the  answer  ?  By  sight,  or  by  faith  ?  It  seems  to  us 
that  it  must  be  by  faith.  The  life  of  the  just  is  repre- 
sented as  a  life  of  faith ;  and  we  should  naturally  con- 
clude the  life  of  faith  would  include  the  answer  to 
prayer,  as  well  as  prayer  itself. 

It  is  very  evident  that  the  just  live,  as  subjects  of  the 
divine  Sovereign,  not  only  by  praying  but  by  being 
answered.  And  in  either  case,  according  to  the  Scrip- 
ture representation,  the  principal  or  inspiring  element 
of  the  inward  life,  whether  a  person  prays  or  is  answered 
in  prayer,  is  faith.  Any  other  view  will  probably  be 
found,  on  close  examination,  to  be  inconsistent  with  the 
doctrine  of  living  by  faith.  Accordingly,  on  the  true 
doctrine  of  holy  living,  viz.,  by  faith,  we  go  to  God  in 
the  exercise  of  faith,  believing  that  he  will  hear ;  and 
we  return  from  him  in  the  exercise  of  the  same  faith, 
believing  that  he  has  heard,  and  that  the  answer  exists 
and  is  registered  in  the  divine  mind,  although  we  do 
not  know  what  it  is,  and  perhaps  shall  never  be  per- 
mitted to  know. 

And  in  accordance  with  these  views,  if,  in  a  given 
case,  we  know  from  the  Word  of  God  that  the  petition 
is  agreeable  to  the  divine  will,  and  that  it  is  also  agree- 
able to  the  divine  will  that  it  should  be  granted  now, 
then  the  doctrine  of  faith  will  require  us  to  believe,  that 
the  divine  decision  is  made  up  and  is  given,  and  that 
we  do  71010   have    the    things  which  we    sought    for 


DOCTRINE    OF    RECEIVING    BY    FAITH.  345 

although  they  may  come  in  a  different  way,  and  with  a 
different  appearance,  from  what  we  anticipated.  And, 
on  the  other  hand,  if  the  Word  of  God  has  not  revealed 
to  us  the  divine  will,  the  doctrine  of  faith  still  requires 
us  to  believe  that  the  true  answer  exists  in  the  will  of 
God  ;  that  the  decision  of  God  is  made  up  as  in  the 
other  case,  whatever  that  decision  may  be,  and  when- 
ever and  wherever  it  may  be  visibly  accomplished.  In 
both  cases,  we  have  need  of  faith  ;  we  believe  that  God 
is  either  noio  doing,  or  that  he  will  do.  So  that  the 
true  answer  to  prayer,  as  it  seems  to  us,  is  an  answer 
resting  upon  the  revealed  declaration  or  Word  of  God 
for  its  basis,  and  made  available  to  us  in  any  given  case 
by  an  act  of  faith.  God  promises  that  he  will  answer. 
Faith,  accepting  the  declaration,  recognizes  the  answer, 
whether  it  be  known  or  unknown,  as  actually  given  in 
every  case,  where  it  can  justly  be  expected  to  be  given. 
IV.  We  proceed  now  to  give  some  illustrations. 
We  will  suppose,  for  instance,  that,  in  a  particular  emer 
gency,  we  need  and  are  sincerely  desirous  of  wisdom  to 
guide  us,  and  that  we  truly  and  humbly  ask  for  it. 
While  we  thus  pray,  it  is  of  course  implied  that  we,  at 
the  same  time,  employ  all  those  rational  powers  which 
God  has  given  us,  and  which  are  appropriate  to  the  sub- 
ject under  consideration.  To  do  otherwise  would  be 
like  the  husbandman's  asking  the  rains  and  the  blessing 
of  Heaven  upon  lands  which  he  had  neglected  to  culti- 
vate. While  we  thus  pray  and  thus  act,  it  becomes 
our  privilege  and  our  duty,  in  accordance  with  the  doc- 
trines of  the  life  of  faith,  to  believe  fully  and  firmly 
that  God  does  in  fact  answer,  and  that,  in  the  sanctified 
exercise  of  the  powers  which  are  given  us,  we  truly 
have  that  degree  of  wisdom  which  is  best  for  us  in  the 
present  case.  Whether  we  are  conscious  of  any  new 
light  on  the  subject  or  not,  it  is  our  privilege,  and  —  what 
is  very  important  —  it  is  our  duty,  as  those  who  would  be 
wholly  the  Lord's,  to  believo  that  we  have  just  that  de- 
gree of  knowledge  which  is  best  for  us.     Even  if  we 


346  JPIRITUAL    BREAD,    OR    THE 

are  left  in  almost  entire  ignorance  on  the  topic  of  oui 
inquiry,  and  are  obliged  to  grope  our  way  onward  ir. 
the  best  manner  we  can,  we  still  have  the  high  satisfac 
tion  of  knowing,  that  we  are  placed  in  this  position 
because  God  sees  that  a  less  degree  of  light  is  better  in 
our  case  than  a  greater,  and  it  is  certain  that  his  percep- 
tion of  it  involves  the  fact  that  it  is  so.  And  accord 
mgly,  if  it  be  true  that  God  does  not  give  to  us  that 
precise  form  and  degree  of  wisdom,  which,  in  our  igno- 
rance, we  sought  for,  we  nevertheless  have  received  all 
that  wisdom  which,  in  the  view  of  faith,  is  either 
necessary  or  desirable.  Such  is  God's  answer.  And 
such  also  is  the  true  answer,  viz.,  the  answer  which 
precisely  corresponds  to  the  spirit  of  the  petition,  if  the 
petition  has  been  offered  up  in  the  true  spirit.  But  it 
is  obvious  it  is  an  answer  which  could  never  be  real- 
ized as  the  true  answer,  and  as  God's  answer,  except  in 
the  exercise  of  faith.  It  is,  therefore,  an  answer  resting 
upon  the  revealed  declaration  or  Word  of  God,  viz.,  that 
he  will  give  wisdom  to  those  that  sincerely  ask  it,  and 
made  available  to  us  in  being  received  by  faith.  It 
answers  our  purpose  just  as  much  and  as  well,  and  in 
some  important  points  of  view  far  better,  than  if  it  were 
an  answer  addressed  directly  to  our  sight. 

We  will  suppose,  as  another  iUustration  of  the  subject, 
that  we  have  a  sincere  and  earnest  desire  for  the  salva- 
tion of  one  of  our  friends.  Under  the  pressure  of  this 
desire  we  lay  the  case  before  our  heavenly  Father  in 
supplication.  What  is  the  nature  of  the  answer  which 
we  can  reasonably  expect,  and  which  we  ought  to  ex- 
pect, under  such  circumstances?  Is  it  a  specific  answer, 
of  such  a  nature  as  to  make  known  to  us,  by  a  direct 
communication,  whether  the  thing  shall  be  done  or  not, 
and  whether  it  shall  be  done  at  a  particular  time  or  not  ? 
Or  is  it  an  answer  resting  upon  the  revealed  declaration 
of  the  Word  of  God,  as  that  answer  is  received  and  made 
available  to  us  by  faith  ?  In  the  former  case,  we  shall 
pray  till  we  know,  or  rather  till  we  think  we  know* 


DOCTRINE    OF    RECEIVING    BY    FAITH.  347 

not  merely  know  that  God  answers  us,  and   answers  us 
in  the  best  manner  ;  but,  what  is  a  very  different  thing, 
shall  pray  till  we  know,  or  think  we  know,  what  the 
answer  is.      Under  the  influence  of  a  very  subtle  and 
secret  distrust  of  God,  we  shall  not  be  disposed  to  desist 
until    we   obtain   som3  sign,  some   voice,  some  spacific 
manifestation,  some  fe3ling  which  shall  make  us  certain ; 
and  certain,  not  merely  that  God  hears  us,  and  will  do 
all  he  consistently  can  for  us  :   but  shall  insist  on  a  cer- 
tain knowledge,  by  means  of  such  signs  and  manifesta- 
tions, of  the  precise  thing  which  he  will  do.     In  other 
words,  we  cannot  trust  the  answer  in  God's  keeping ; 
but  must  gratify  our  inordinate  and  sinful  curiosity  by 
having   a   revelation  of  it.      In    the    latter   case,  viz., 
where  we  expect  an  answer,  resting  upon  God's  word 
and  received  by  faith,  it  is  very  different.     While  we 
humbly,  earnestly,  and  perseveringly   lay  our  request 
before  God,  we  shall  leave  the  result  in  his  hands  with 
entire    resignation  ;    believing,  in   accordance  with  the 
declarations  of  his  holy  Word,  that  he   does  truly  hear 
us;  entirely  confident  that  he  will  do  what  is   right; 
and  recognizing  his  blessed  will,  although  that  will  may 
as  yet  be  unknown  to  us,  as  the  true  and  only  desirable 
fulfilment  of  our  supplication.     We  shall  feel,  although 
salvation  is  desirable  both  for  ourselves  and  others,  that 
the  fulfilment  of  the  holy  will  of  God  is  still  more,  yea, 
infinitely  more  desirable.     ''  Thy  will  be  done."    And 
here  is  a  real  answer,  such  an  answer  as  would  com- 
pletely satisfy  an  angel's  mind  ;  and  yet  it  is  an  answer 
received  by  simple  faith.    "  The  just  shall  live  hij  faith.'' 
The  whole  doctrine  is  beautifully  summed  up  in  a  short 
passage  in  the  First  Epistle  of  John.     "  And  this  is  the 
confidence  [or  strong  faith]  that  we  have  in  him,  that 
if  we  ask  any  thing  according  to  his  will,  he  heareth  us. 
And  if  we  know  that  he  hear  us,  whatsoever  we  ask,  we 
know  that  we  have  the  petitions  that  lue  desire  of  him.'' 
(1.)     In    connection   with    the   doctrine   which    has 
been  laid  down,  viz.,  that  answers  to  prayers  are  to  be 


348  SPIRITUAL    BREAD,    OR    THE 

received  by  faith,  we  proceed  to  make  a  few  remarks 
which  are  naturally  related  to  it.  And  one  is,  that  this 
doctrine  is  favorable  to  self-renunciation.  The  desire 
of  definite  and  specific  answers  naturally  reacts  upon  the 
inward  nature,  and  tends  to  keep  alive  the  selfish  or 
egotistical  principle.  On  the  contrary,  the  disposition 
to  know  only  what  God  would  have  us  know,  and  to 
leave  the  dearest  object  of  our  hearts  in  the  sublime 
keeping  of  the  general  and  unspecific  belief  that  God  is 
now  answering  our  prayers  in  his  own  time  and  way, 
and  in  the  best  manner,  involves  a  present  process  of 
inward  crucifixion,  which  is  obviously  unfavorable  to 
the  growth  and  even  the  existence  of  the  life  of  self. 

(2.)  We  remark,  again,  that  a  disposition  to  seek  a 
specific,  or  rather  a  visible  answer  to  our  prayers,  in 
distinction  from  an  answer  addressed  to  our  faith,  tends 
to  weaken  the  principle  of  faith.  The  visible  system, 
if  we  may  be  permitted  so  to  call  it,  implies  that  we  will 
trust  God  only  so  far  as  we  can  see  him.  It  requires, 
as  one  may  say,  ready  payment,  cash  in  hand,  a  mort- 
gage of  real  estate,  something  seen  or  tangible.  It 
cannot  live  upon  what  it  calls  mere  air  ;  it  is  not  dis- 
posed to  trust  any  thing  to  a  mere  word,  a  mere  promise, 
though  it  be  the  word  or  promise  of  the  Almighty. 
Such,  on  a  close  examination,  will  be  found  to  be  the 
spirit  of  the  specific  or  visible  system  —  a  system  which 
will  answer,  to  some  extent,  in  our  intercourse  with 
men,  but  not  in  our  intercourse  with  God.  It  is  easy 
to  see,  in  addition  to  other  evils  resulting  from  it,  that 
It  is  adverse  to  the  growth  of  faith  ;  which,  in  accord- 
ance with  a  well-known  law  of  our  mental  and  religious 
nature,  flourishes  by  exercise,  and  withers  by  repression. 
If  the  system,  which  is  not  satisfied  without  seeing  or 
knowing,  should  prevail  generally,  faith  would  necessa- 
rily be  banished  from  the  world,  and  God  would  be 
banished  with  it. 

(3.)  The  system  which  requires  a  present  and 
visible    or   ascertained  answer,  in  distiiiction  from  the 


DOCTRINE    OF    RECEIVING    BY    FAITH.  349 

hysieni  of  faith,  which  believes  that  it  has  an  answer, 
but  does  not  require  God  to  make  it  known  till  he  sees 
best  to  make  it  known,  is  full  of  danger.  It  tends  to 
self-confidence,  because  it  implies  that  we  can  command 
God,  and  make  him  unlock  the  secrets  of  his  hidden 
counsels  whenev  er  we  please.  It  tends  to  self-delusion, 
because  we  are  always  liable  to  mistake  the  workings 
of  our  own  imaginations  or  our  own  feelings,  or  the 
intimations  -of  Satan,  for  the  true  voice  of  God.  It 
tends  to  cause  jealousies  and  divisions  in  the  church  of 
Christ,  because  he  who  supposes  that  he  has  a  specific 
or  known  answer —  which  is  the  same,  so  far  as  it  goes, 
as  a  specific  revelation  —  is  naturally  bound  and  led  by 
such  supposition,  and  thus  is  oftentimes  led  to  strike 
out  a  course  for  himself  which  is  at  variance  with  the 
feelings  and  judgments  of  his  brethren.  Incalculable 
are  the  evils,  which,  in  every  age  of  the  Christian  his- 
tory, have  resulted  from  this  source. 

(4.)  We  have  but  a  single  remark  more,  viz.:  It  is 
a  great  and  blessed  privilege  to  leave  every  thing  in  the 
hands  of  God ;  to  go  forth,  like  the  patriarch  Abraham, 
not  knowing  whither  we  go,  but  only  knowing  that 
God  leads  us.  "  Be  careful  for  nothing  ;  but  in  every 
thing,  by  prayer  and  supplication,  with  thanksgiving, 
let  your  requests  be  made  known  unto  God."  Philip, 
iv.  6.  This  is  what  is  sometimes  denominated  walking 
in  a  "general  and  indistinct  faith  ;  "  or  walking  in  the 
"obscurity  of  faith,"  or  in  the  "  night  of  faith."  Faith, 
in  its  relation  to  the  subject  of  it,  is  truly  a  light  in  the 
soul  ;  but  it  is  a  light  which  shines  only  upon  duties, 
and  not  upon  results  or  events.  It  tells  us  what  is  now 
to  be  done,  but  it  does  not  tell  us  what  is  to  follow. 
And  accordingly,  it  guides  us  but  a  single  step  at  a  time. 
And  when  we  take  that  step,  under  the  guidance  of 
faith,  we  advance  directly  into  a  land  of  surrounding 
shadows  aid  darkness.  Like  the  patriarch  Abraham, 
we  go,  not  knowing  whither  we  go,  but  only  that  God 
is  with  us  Blessed  and  glorious  way  of  living !  In 
30 


350         SPIRITUAL    BREAD,    OR    RECEIVING    BY    FAITH. 

deed,  it  is  the  only  life  worth  possessing ;  the  only  true 
life.  "  Let  the  heathen  rage,  and  the  people  imagine  a 
vain  thing ;  "  let  nations  rise  and  fall ;  let  the  disturbed 
and  tottering  earth  stand  or  perish  ;  let  God  reveal  to  us 
the  secret  designs  of  his  providence  or  not,  — it  is  all  well. 
''Cast  all  your  carss  upon  God,  for  he  careth  for  you." 
"  Believe  in  one  Lord  your  God,  so  shall  you  be  estab- 
lished.    Believe  1  is  prophets,  so  shall  ye  prosper." 


351 


CHAPTER    TENTH. 

ON   IHE   PRINCIPLE   OF  INWARD   QUIETUDE   OR 
STILLNESS. 

We  proceed,  in  this  chapter,  to  lay  down  and  explain 
a  principle  which  is  more  or  less  distinctly  recognized 
by  writers  on  Christian  experience,  and  which,  by  the 
common  consent  of  those  who  have  examined  it,  is 
very  intimately  connected  with  the  progress  and  per- 
fection of  the  interior  Christian  life.  The  principle  is 
that  of  inward  quietude  or  stillness  ;  in  other  words, 
a  true  and  practical  ceasing  from  self. 

First.  This  principle  involves,  in  the  first  place,  a 
cessation  from  all  inordinate  and  selfish  outward  ac- 
tivity. It  does  not,  it  will  be  remembered,  exclude  an 
outward  activity  of  the  right  kind.  To  entertain  any 
idea  of  this  kind,  would  be  a  great  error.  But  it  dis- 
approves and  condemns  that  spirit  of  worldly  move- 
ment and  progress;  that  calculating  and  self-interested 
activity ;  that  running  to  and  fro  without  seriously 
looking  to  God,  and  without  a  quiet  confidence  in  him, 
which  has  been,  in  all  ages  of  the  world,  the  dishonor 
and  the  bane  of  true  Christianity.  How  much  of  what 
may  be  called  secular  scheming  and  planning  there  is  in 
the  church  at  the  present  time !  How  much  of  action, 
prosecuted  on  principles  which  certainly  cannot  be  ac- 
ceptable to  a  truly  holy  heart !  While  it  exhibits  much 
of  true  piety,  and  much  of  the  right  kind  of  action,  is 
it  not  evident  that  the  church  exhibits  a  great  deal, 
also,  both  in  its  plans  of  personal  and  of  public  activity, 
of  that  restless,  unsanctified,  and  grasping  eagerness, 
which  characterizes,  and  may  be  expected  to  charac- 
tnrize,  those  who  live  and  act  as  if  there  were  no  God 


352 


ON    THE    PRINCIPLE    OF 


111  the  world  ?     The  principle  of  quietude,  or  stihnesSj 
decidedly  condemns  this  injurious  and  evil  course. 

Second.  But  this  principle  has  inwardly  still  more 
important  results.  The  true  state  of  internal  quietude, 
or  stillness,  implies  three  things. 

(1.)  And,  accordingly,  our  first  remark  is,  that  true 
quietness  of  soul  involves  a  cessation  from  unnecessary 
wandering  and  discursive  thoughts  and  imaginations. 
If  we  indulge  an  unnatural  and  inordinate  curiosity ;  if 
we  crowd  the  intellect,  not  only  with  useful  knowledge, 
but  with  all  the  vague  and  unprofitable  rumors  and 
news  of  the  day,  it  is  hardly  possible,  on  the  principles 
of  mental  philosophy,  that  the  mind  should  be  at  rest. 
The  doctrine  of  religious  quietude  conveys  the  notion 
of  a  state  of  intellect  so  free  from  all  unnecessary  worldly 
intruders,  that  God  can  take  up  his  abode  there  as  the 
one  great  idea,  which  shall  either  exclusively  occupy 
the  mind,  or  shall  so  far  occupy  it  as  to  bring  all  other 
thoughts  and  reflections  into  entire  harmony  with  itself. 
This  is,  philosophically,  one  of  the  first  conditions  of 
union  with  God,  It  seems  to  be  naturally  impossible 
that  we  should  realize  an  entire  harmony,  or  oneness, 
with  the  divine  mind,  while  the  soul  is  so  occupied 
with  worldly  thoughts  flowing  into  it,  as  almost  to  shut 
out  the  very  idea  of  God.  A  state  of  religious  or 
spiritual  quietude  is,  in  other  words,  a  state  of  rest  in 
God.  The  idea  of  God,  therefore,  —  that  magnificent 
and  glorious  idea,  —  must  so  occupy  the  intellect,  must 
be  so  interwoven  with  all  its  operations  and  modes  of 
thinking,  that  the  thoughts  of  other  things,  which  so 
often  agitate  and  afflict  the  religious  mnid,  may  be 
easily  shut  out.  And  in  order  to  do  this,  they  who 
would  be  perfect  in  Christ  Jesus,  must  not  mingle  too 
much  in  the  concerns  of  the  world.  Little  have  they 
to  do  with  the  unprofitable  frivolities  and  pleasures  of 
secular  society  ;  with  idle  village  gossiping  ;  with  the 
trades,  and  adventures,  and  speculations,  of  those  who 
hasten  to  be  rich  ;  with  the  heats  and  recriminations  of 
party  politics, — and  many  Dther  things,  which  it  would 


INWARD    QUIETUDE    OR    STILLNESS.  353 

be  estsy  to  mention.  No  reading,  also,  should  be  in- 
dulged in,  which  shall  tend  to  separate  between  the 
soul  and  God.  Knowledge  is  profitable,  it  is  true  ;  but 
not  all  kinds  of  knowledge.  It  is  better,  certainly,  if 
vv?  cannot,  consistently  with  religious  principles,  have  a 
knowledge  of  both,  to  be  familiar  with  the  psalms  of 
David  than  with  the  poems  of  Homer ;  not  only  bet- 
cause  the  former  are  in  a  higher  strain,  but  especially 
Decause  heavenly  inspiration  should  ever  take  prece- 
dence of  that  which  is  earthly.  When,  however,  we 
read  in  the  world's  books  from  the  sense  of  duty  — 
when  we  may  be  said  to  read  and  study  for  God  and 
with  God  —  then,  indeed,  the  great  idea  of  the  Divinity 
remains  present  and  operative  in  the  soul.  And  such 
inquiries  and  studies  are  always  consistent  with  Chris- 
tian quietude,  because  the  mind,  venturing  forth  at  the 
requisition  of  the  great  Master  within,  returns  instinc- 
tively, at  the  appointed  time,  to  the  inward  centre  of 
rest.  Hence  we  should  lay  it  down  as  an  important 
rule,  to  chasten  the  principle  of  curiosity,  and  to  know 
nothing  which  cannot  be  made,  either  directly  or  indi- 
rectly, religiously  profitable.  Such  knowledge,  and  such 
oiily,  will  harmonize  with  the  presence  of  the  great  idea 
of  God.  All  other  knowledge  tends  to  exclude  it.  And 
hence  it  is,  that  it  can  be  so  often  said  of  those  who 
possess  all  worldly  knowledge,  to  whom  all  arts,  and  lan- 
guages, alid  sciences,  are  familiar,  that  God  is  not  in 
all  their  thoughts.  The  intellect  is  not  in  sufficient  re- 
pose from  the  outward  and  purely  worldly  pressure 
constantly  made  upon  it,  to  receive  him.  He  comes 
to  the  door,  but  finds  no  entrance,  and  leaves  them 
alone  in  their  folly. 

Perhaps,  in  order  to  prevent  mistakes,  it  should  be 
added  that,  when  the  mind  is  thus  in  a  state  of  quiet- 
ness and  repose  from  worldly  and  errant  imaginations, 
it  does  not  by  any  means  follow,  as  some  may  suppose, 
that  it  is  therefore  in  a  state  of  sluggish  and  insentient 
idleness.  Not  at  all.  No  sooner  has  it  reached  thr 
state  of  true  stillness,  by  ceasing  from  its  own  im 
30* 


354  ON    THE    PRINCIPLE    OF 

aginative  vanities,  and  thus  giving  entrance  to  tlie 
purifying  and  absorbing  conception  of  the  great  Divin- 
ity, than  it  becomes  silently  but  actively  meditative 
on  the  great  idea.  Not,  indeed,  in  a  discursive  and  ex- 
aminative  way,  not  in  a  way  of  curious  inquiry  and 
of  minute  analysis,  but  still  active  and  meditative ; 
much  in  the  manner,  perhaps,  that  an  affectionate  child 
silently  and  delightedly  meditates  on  the  idea  of  an 
absent  parent ;  not  analytically  and  curiously,  but  with 
that  high  and  beautiful  meditation  which  exists  in 
connection  with  the  purest  love ;  or  much  as  any 
persons,  who  sustain  to  each  other  the  relation  of  dear 
and  intimate  friendship,  when  in  the  providence  of  God 
they  are  separated  at  a  distance,  often  repose  in  mental 
stillness  from  all  other  thoughts  inconsistent  with  the 
one  loved  idea;  and  thus  reciprocally  the  mind,  active 
in  respect  to  the  object  before  it,  though  still  and  quiet 
in  respect  to  every  thing  else,  centres  and  dwells  with 
each  other's  image. 

(2.)  Again,  the  state  of  internal  quietude  implies  a 
cessation,  or  rest,  from  unrestrained  and  inordinate  de- 
sires and  affections.  Such  a  cessation  becomes  com- 
paratively easy,  when  God  has  become  the  ruling  idea 
in  the  thoughts;  and  when  other  ideas,  which  are  vain, 
wandering,  and  in  other  ways  inconsistent  with  it,  are 
excluded.  This  rest,  or  stillness  of  the  affections,  when 
it  exists  in  the  highest  degree,  is  secured  by  perfect 
faith  in  God,  necessarily  resulting  in  perfect  love.  We 
have  already  had  occasion  to  say  that  perfect  faith  im- 
plies, in  its  results,  perfect  love.  How  can  we  possibly 
have  perfect  faith  in  God,  perfect  confidence  that  he 
will  do  all  things  right  and  well,  when,  at  the  same 
time,  we  are  wanting  in  love  to  him  ?  From  perfect 
faith,  therefore,  perfect  love  necessarily  flows  out,  bap- 
tizing, as  it  were,  and  purifying,  all  the  subordinate 
powers  of  the  soul.  In  other  words,  under  the  influ- 
ence of  this  predominating  principle,  the  perfect  love 
of  God  resting  upon  perfect  faith  in  God,  the  harmony 
of   the   soul  be/:omes  restored  ;    the  various   appetites, 


INWARD    tlUIETUDE    OR    STILLNESS.  355 

propensities,  and  affections,  act  each  in  their  place  and 
all  concurrently ;  there  are  no  disturbing  and  jarring  in- 
fluences ;  and  the  beautiful  result  is  that  quietness  of 
spirit  which  is  declared  to  be  "  in  the  sight  of  God  of 
great  price." 

Those  who  are  privileged,  by  divine  assistance,  to 
enjoy  this  interior  rest  and  beautiful  stillness  of  the 
passions,  are  truly  lovely  to  the  beholder.  The  wicked 
are  like  the  troubled  sea,  that  cannot  rest,  tossed  about  by 
conflicting  passions,  and  are  not  more  unhappy  in  them- 
selves than  they  are  unlovely  in  the  sight  of  holy 
beings.  There  is  a  want  of  interior  symmetry  and 
union  :  that  guiding  principle  of  divine  love,  which 
consolidates  and  perfects  the  characters  of  holy  beings, 
is  absent  ;  the  lower  parts  of  their  nature  have  gained 
the  ascendency,  and  there  is  internal  jarring  and  discord, 
and  general  moral  deformity.  In  such  a  heart  God  does 
not  and  cannot  dwell.  How  diflerent  is  the  condition  of 
that  heart  which  is  pervaded  by  the  power  of  a  sancti- 
fying stillness,  and  which,  in  the  cessation  of  its  own 
jarring  noise,  is  prepared  to  listen  to  the  "  still  small 
voice "  !  It  is  here  that  God  not  only  takes  up  his 
abode,  but  continually  instructs,  guides,  and  consoles. 

On  this  part  of  the  subject,  in  order  to  prevent  any 
misapprehension,  we  make  two  brief  remarks :  The 
first  is,  that  the  doctrine  of  stillness,  or  quietude  of  the 
desires  and  passions,  does  not  necessarily  exclude  an 
occasional  agitation  arising  from  the  instinctive  part  of 
our  nature.  The  instincts  are  so  constituted,  that 
they  act,  not  by  cool  reason  and  reflection,  but  by 
an  inexpressibly  quick  and  agitated  movement.  Such 
is  their  nature.  Such  agitation  is  entirely  consistent 
with  holiness;  and  it  is  not  imuiasonable  to  suppose, 
that  even  the  amazement  and  fe.ni',  wliich  are  ascribed 
to  our  blessed  Savior  at  certain  petiods  of  his  life,  are  to 
be  attributed  to  the  operation  of  this  part  of  his  nature, 
which  is  perfectly  consistent  with  entire  resignation 
and  with  perfect  confidence  in  God.  The  other  re- 
mark is,  that  the  doctrine  of  internal  quietude,  perva 


356  ON    THE    PRINCIPLK    OF 

ding  and  characterizing  the  action  of  the  sensibihties, 
is  not  inoDnsistent  with  feehngs  of  displeasure,  and 
even  of  anger.  Our  Savior  was  at  times  grieved,  dis- 
pleased, angry  ;  as  he  had  abundant  reason  to  be,  in 
view  of  the  hardness  of  heart,  and  the  sins,  which  were 
exposed  to  his  notice.  Anger  (so  far  as  it  is  not 
purely  instinctive  —  which  at  its  first  rise,  and  for  a 
mere  moment  of  time,  it  may  be)  is,  in  its  nature, 
entirely  consistent  with  reason  and  reflection ;  is  con- 
sistent with  the  spirit  of  supplication,  and  consist- 
ent, also,  even  in  its  strong  exercises,  with  entire 
agreement  and  relative  quietude  in  all  parts  of  the 
soul.  In  other  words,  although  there  is  deep  feeling  in 
one  part  of  the  soul,  the  other  parts  —  such  as  the 
reason,  the  conscience,  and  the  will — are  so  entirely 
consentient,  that  the  great  fact  of  holy,  internal  qui- 
etude, which  depends  upon  a  perfect  adjustment  of  the 
parts  to  each  other,  is  secured.  A  strong  faith  in  God, 
existing  in  the  interior  recesses  of  the  soul,  and  in- 
spiring a  disposition  to  look  with  a  constant  eye  to  his 
will  alone,  keeps  every  thing  in  its  right  position. 
Hence  there  still  remains  the  great  and  important  fact 
of  holy  internal  rest,  even  at  such  trying  times. 

(3.)  We  proceed  now  to  the  third  characteristic. 
The  true  state  of  internal  quietude  implies  a  cessation 
not  only  from  unnecessarily  wandering  and  discursive 
thoughts  and  imaginations,  not  only  a  rest  from  ir- 
regular desires  and  affections,  but  implies,  in  the 
third  place,  a  perfect  submission  of  the  will ;  in  othei 
words,  a  perfect  renunciation  of  our  own  purposes  and 
plans,  and  a  cheerful  and  perfect  acquiescence  in  the 
holy  will  of  God.  Such  a  renunciation  of  the  will  is 
indispensably  requisite.  It  is  not  to  be  understood  that 
we  are  to  have  no  will  of  our  own,  in  the  literal  sense  • 
this  would  be  inconsistent  with  moral  agency ;  but 
that  in  its  action,  under  all  circumstances,  however  ad- 
verse and  trying,  our  will  is  cheerfully  and  wholly 
accordant  with  God's  will.  A  mind  in  such  a  state 
must  necessarily  be  at  rest.     It  realizes  that  God   is  «t 


INWARD    QUIETUDE    OR    STILLNESS.  357 

the  helm  of  affairs  ;  and  that  necessarily  all  the  plans 
of  his  wise  and  great  administration  shall  come  to  pass. 
Why,  then,  should  it  be  troubled?  "What  a  blessed 
thing  it  is,"  says  Dr.  Payson,  "to  lose  one's  will! 
Since  I  have  lost  my  will,  I  have  found  happiness. 
There  can  be  no  such  thing  as  disappointment  ;  for  1 
have  no  desire  but  that  God's  will  may  be  accom- 
plished." The  blessedness  of  such  a  soul  is  indeed 
indescribable.  It  is  an  inward  death,  out  of  which 
springs  inward  and  eternal  life  ;  a  self-annihilation,  out 
of  which  rises  immortal  power.  The  man  who  has 
the  true  quietude  is  like  a  large  ship  firmly  at  anchor 
in  a  storm.  The  clouds  gather  around,  the  winds  blow, 
the  heavy  waves  dash  against  her,  bat  she  rides  safe  in 
her  position,  in  conscious  dignity  and  power.  Or  per- 
haps his  situation  is  more  nearly  expressed  by  the 
memorable  and  sublime  simile  of  Goldsmith  :  — 

"As  some  tall  clifF,  that  rears  its  awful  form, 
Swells  from  the  vale  and  midway  leaves  the  storm,  — 
Though  round  its  breast  the  rolling  clouds  are  spread, 
Eternal  sunshine  settles  on  its.  head." 

But  some  will  say,  "  Is  there  to  be  no  action  ?  and  are 
we  to  do  nothing  ?  "  A  person  in  this  state  of  mind, 
being  at  rest  in  the  will  of  God,  and  never  out  of  that 
divine  will,  is  operative  precisely  as  God  would  have 
him  so  ;  moving  as  God  moves,  stopping  where  God 
stops.  He  is  at  rest,  but  never  idle.  His  God  forbids 
idleness.  Therefore  he  keeps  in  the  line  of  divine 
cooperation,  and  works  loith  God.  There  may  be  less 
of  vain  and  noisy  pretension,  and  sometimes  less  of  out- 
ward and  visible  activity ;  but  there  is  far  more  wisdom, 
and  far  more  actual  efficiency  ;   for  God  is  with  him. 


358 


CHAPTER   ELEVENTH. 

ADDITIONAL  REMARKS   ON   THE    STATE   OF   INTERIOR 
STILLNESS. 

Fenelon  has  somewhere  remarked  to  this  effect,  that 
in  our  inward  feelings,  "i^  is  often  more  easy  to pei'ceivc 
IV hat  is  the  result  of  nature  than  of  grace.^'  This 
remark  may  perhaps  be  of  doubtful  correctness  in  the 
view  of  some  persons  ;  but  it  is  certainly  worthy  of 
serious  examination.  If  it  be  true,  it  is  a  remark  which 
involves  important  principles. 

We  are  aware  that  the  common  opinion  is  the  oppo- 
site of  this.  It  is  generally  supposed  that  the  emotions 
and  affections  of  the  religious  life  are  more  marked  and 
perceptible  than  those  of  the  natural  life.  It  seems  to 
be  a  prevalent  idea,  that  a  person  who  is  not  internally 
perceptive  of  strong  emotions  and  affections,  has  but 
little  claims  to  depth  and  power  of  religious  experience. 
It  is  implied  in  this  idea,  that  there  must  be  a  salient  or 
projective  aspect  to  these  feelings,  so  that  to  the  subjects 
of  them  they  shall  appear,  in  comparison  with  other 
feelings,  to  ^tand  out  distinctly  and  prominently  percep- 
tible. It  is  to  this  particular  phasis  of  the  common 
doctrine,  that  the  remark  of  Fenelon  —  viz.,  that,  in  oui 
inward  experience,  it  is  more  easy  to  perceive  what  is 
the  result  of  nature  than  of  grace  —  is  particularly  op- 
posed. He  would  not  by  any  means  deny  the  strength 
of  religious  emotions  and  feelings  in  those  who  are 
truly  and  eminently  pious.  This  would  be  a  great 
error.  His  idea  is  that,  when  the  soul  is  wholly  given 
to  God,  there  is  such  an  entire  harmony  and  internal 
rest,  that  no  one  of  the  religious  affections,  however 
strong  they  may  be,  is  comparatively  so  much  in  ad- 


Ai.l*lTl'.NAL,    llEMAKKS    ON    1  NTEltlOF    STILLNESS.      359 

vance  of  what  might  reasonably  be  expected  of  other 
religious  feelings,  as  necessarily  to  claim  and  secure  a 
distinct  and  particular  notice.  All  are  the  subjects  of  a 
perfect  relative  adjustment  ;  all  are  kept  in  their  place 
by  the  superintendence  of  the  principle  of  perfect  love  ; 
all  are  sprinkled  over  and  bright  with  the  celestial  dew  ; 
so  that  one  part  or  exercise  is  as  beautiful  in  its  place  as 
another,  and  as  much  calculated  to  arrest  particular 
attention  as  another.  The  result  is  the  harmony,  the 
mternal  stillness,  and  the  beauty,  which  must  ever 
characterize  true  holiness. 

This  doctrine  is  in  accordance  with  the  facts  which 
from  time  to  time  present  themselves  to  notice  in  the 
annals  of  personal  Christian  experience.  The  interest- 
ing form  of  the  religious  life,  of  which  this  doctrine 
may  be  regarded  as  the  theological  or  philosophical 
expression,  seems,  indirectly  at  least,  to  be  indicated  m 
those  beautiful  expressions  in  2d  Corinthians,  where  the 
apostle,  speaking  of  himself  and  others,  says,  "as  un- 
known, and  yet  well  known ;  as  dying,  and,  behold, 
we  live  ;  as  chastened,  and  not  killed  ;  as  sorrowful,  yet 
always  rejoicing  ;  as  poor,  yet  making  many  rich  ;  as 
having  nothing,  and  yet  possessing  all  things.''^  He 
who  is  known  and  yet  unknown,  dying  and  yet  living, 
sorrowful  yet  rejoicing,  poor  yet  communicating  riches, 
having  nothing  and  yet  possessing  all  things,  is  the 
subject  of  feelings,  the  result  of  whose  various  action, 
strange  as  it  may  seem,  is  perfect  harmony  and  internal 
calm.  His  fame  is  counterbalanced  and  harmonized  by 
his  obscurity  ;  his  sorrow  by  his  joy ;  his  poverty  by 
his  riches;  his  absolute  possession  of  nothing  by  his 
possession  of  all  things;  —  so  that  the  soul,  pressed  as  it 
were  by  equal  forces  in  opposite  directions,  necessai  ily 
maintains  the  central  position  of  interior  rest. 

The  state  of  mind,  of  which  we  are  speaking,  appears 
to  be  disclosed  in  one  of  the  short  prayers  that  are 
found  in  Fenelon's  Pious  Reflections  ;  a  part  of  which 
is  as  follows  :  — 

"  O  Lord,  I  know  not  what    I  should  ask  of  thee. 


360  ADDITIONAL    REMARKS    ON    THE 

Thou  only  kiiowest  What  1  want;  and  thou  lovest  me, 
if  J  3m  thy  friend,  better  than  I  can  love  myself.  O 
Lord,  give  to  me,  thy  child,  what  is  proper,  whatsoever 
it  may  be.  I  dare  not  ask  either  crosses  or  comforts.  I 
only  present  myself  before  thee.  I  open  my  hoait  to 
the(  Behold  my  wants,  which  I  am  ignorant  of;  but 
do  thou  behold  and  do  according  to  thy  mercy.  Smite, 
or  heii  !  Depress  me,  or  raise  me  up!  I  adore  all  thy 
purposes,  without  knowing  them.  I  am  silent.  I  offer 
myse>f  in  sacrifice," 

Such  supplications  give  evidence  of  a  mind  that  is 
at  rest  in  itself ;  a  mind  that  reposes  with  entire  confi- 
dence, whatever  may  be  its  temptations  and  sorrows, 
upon  tlie  Divine  Mind. 

The  religious  state  of  Madam  Guyon,  in  the  latter 
part  of  her  life,  ilhistrates  this  form  of  Christian  experi- 
ence. "In  these  last  times,"  she  says,  "I  can  hardly 
speaK  at  all  of  my  dispositions.  It  is  because  my  state 
has  become  simple  and  without  variations.  It  is  a  pro- 
found annihilation.  I  find  nothing  in  myself  to  which 
I  can  give  a  name  ;  [that  is,  no  feelings  so  specific  and 
remarkable,  separate  from  this  simplicity  and  this  loss 
of  self  in  God,  as  to  enable  me  to  describe  them.]  All 
that  I  know  is,  that  God  is  infinitely  holy,  righteous, 
good,  and  happy."  "  All  good  is  in  him.  As  to  myself, 
I  am  a  mere  nothing.  To  me  every  condition  seems 
equal.  All  is  lost  in  his  immensity,  like  a  drop  of 
water  in  the  sea.  In  this  divine  immensity,  the  soul 
sees  itself  no  more." 

In  that  state  of  internal  experience,  which  is  described 
by  Madam  Guyon,  there  seems  to  be  a  perfect  balance 
and  harmony  of  the  different  parts  of  the  mind.  There 
may  be  deep  feeling,  (and  there  is  in  reality  very  deep 
feeling,)  but  it  is  so  perfectly  controlled  by  a  sense  of 
union  with  the  will  of  God,  that  the  result  is  complete 
simplicity  and  rest  of  soul.  Just  as  it  is  in  a  piece  of 
complicated  machinery:  if  the  wheels  and  other  parts 
are  out  of  order,  or  if  there  is  much  friction,  the  action 
of  the   machinery    is  perplexed,  and    is   really   weak 


STATE    OF    INTERIOIl    STILLNESS.  361 

although  there  is  exceedingly  great  jarring  and  discord- 
ant  noise.     But   when  the  wheels  are  all  in  position 
and  there  is  no  friction,  the  action  may  be  one  of  tremen- 
dous power,  and  yet  so  easy  and  quiet  as  to  be  hardly 
perceptible.     And  such  is  the  true  kingdom  of  God  in 
the  soul.     It  comes    and  exists  with  power,  but  with 
great  simplicity.     There  is  nothing  in  it,  in  itself  con- 
sidered, which  IS  calculated  to  attract  and  secure  worldly 
observation.     It  is  mighty;  but,  like  God  himself,  it  is 
inwardly  silent ;  ''a  still,  small  voice."    The  religiously 
quiet  man,  that  is  to  say,  the  man  who  is  inwardly  and 
truly  subdued  and  quiet,  in  consequence  of  religion,  is 
really  the  man  of  great  religious  strength ;  and  yet  this 
strength,  m  consequence  of  that  harmonious  silence  of 
movement,  which  is  the  result  of  its  own  perfection,  is 
so  hidden  from  his  view,  that  he  seems  to  be  hardly 
conscious  of  its  existence.     But  it  is  very  different  with 
the  natural  man  ;  and  also  with  the  Christian,  who  still 
retains  a  large  infusion  of  the  natural  element.     While 
the  operations  of  the  sanctified  man  are  harmonious  and 
quiet,  and  therefore   are  withdrawn,  in  a  great  meas- 
ure, from   distinct  inward  notice,  those  of  the  natural 
mind  are  not  only  self-interested,  but  are  restless,  impet- 
uous, and  contradictory,  and  therefore,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  are  mentally  prominent  and  perceptible.     The 
true  controlling  principle  of  the  mind,  in  the  case  of  the 
natural  man,  is  gone ;  and  its  parts  in  action  strike  and 
jar  upon  each  other  with  an  inward  concussion,  like 
the   hinges   of  the    gates   of  hell,   that   grate    "harsh 
thunder." 

31 


362 


CHAPTER    TWELFTH. 

ON   THE   TRUE    IDEA    OF  INTERIOR   ANNIHILATION   OP 
NOTHINGNESS. 

When  we  use  the  phrase  "  interior  annihilation,"  we 
of  course  use  it  in  a  mitigated  or  quahfied  sense,  as 
meaning  not  an  entire  extinction  of  any  principles  within 
us,  but  only  an  extinction  of  certain  irregularities  of 
their  action.  In  other  words,  it  is  not  an  absolute  anni- 
hilation ;  but  only  the  annihilation  of  any  thing  and 
every  thing  which  is  wrong ;  the  annihilation  of  what 
the  Scriptures  call  the  "  old  man,"  in  distinction  from 
the  "  new  man,  created  anew  in  Christ  Jesus."  Per- 
haps we  should  not  refer  to  this  form  of  expression  at 
all,  nor  make  any  remarks  upon  it,  although  it  is  some- 
times a  convenient  one  in  the  description  of  internal 
experience,  were  it  not  that  it  is  often  employed,  or 
some  phrase  of  equivalent  import,  in  writers,  particu- 
larly those  of  an  ancient  date,  on  the  interior  religious 
life.  I  believe,  also,  it  is  quite  common  among  many 
Christians,  at  the  present  time,  to  speak  in  rather  a  loose 
way  of  their  Nothingness,  of  the  importance  of  feeling 
that  they  are  Nothing,  and  the  like  ;  which  shows  that 
this  form  of  expression  indicates  the  existence  of  some 
great  practical  truth,  although  it  may  be  but  indistinctly 
developed,  which  is  clear  to  the  religions  mind.  We 
shall  give  our  ideas  on  this  subject  as  plainly  and  con- 
cisely as  we  can. 

First.  The  state  of  inward  annihilation  is  char- 
acterized, in  the  first  place,  by  the  extinction  of  all  un- 
regulated or  unsanctified  love  of  created  things,  or 
"  love  of  the  creatures,"  as  it  is  sometimes  expressed. 
Accordingly,  we  cannot  say  that  a  person  is  interiorlv 


ON    INTERIOR    ANNIHILATION    OR    NOTHINGNKSS.       363 

lost  01-  annihilated,  who  is  in  any  degree  the  slave  of 
his  appetites.  The  action  of  the  appetites,  when 
directed  to  their  original  objects,  and  when  subjected 
to  the  regulation  of  a  purified  conscience,  is  undoubt- 
edly consistent  with  this  state ;  that  is  to  say,  when 
they  are  exercised,  not  from  a  view  to  the  mere  pleasure 
which  they  afford,  but  in  accordance  with  their  primi- 
tive constitution,  and  consequently  in  accordance  with 
the  will  of  God.  But  he  who  takes  delight  in  the 
pleasures  of  the  senses,  and  indulges  the  lower  appetites 
of  our  nature,  that  the  attendant  pleasures  rather  than 
*he  original  objects  of  the  senses  may  be  realized,  has 
not  so  crucified  and  slain  himself,  that  he  can  be  said 
to  be  inwardly  annihilated.  There  is  still  within  him- 
self the  germination  and  the  growth  of  that  form  of 
selfish  gratification  which  may  properly  be  called  a 
"love  of  the  creatures." 

A  similar  statement  may  be  made  in  regard  to  those 
principles  which  are  understood  to  be  higher  in  rank 
than  the  Appetites  ;  and  which,  in  order  to  distinguish 
them  from  the  lower  or  appetitive  part  of  our  nature, 
may  properly  be  denominated  the  Propensities  and  the 
Affections;  such  as  the  social  propensity,  the  desire  of 
knowledge,  the  desire  of  esteem,  the  filial  affection,  the 
parental  affection,  friendship,  and  the  love  of  country. 
If  these  propensive  principles  and  affections,  whatever 
comparative  rank  they  may  sustain,  are  not  perfectly 
subordinated  to  the  principle  of  supreme  love  to  God,  —  if 
they  exist  in  such  a  degree  as  to  be  in  conflict  with 
what  the  law  of  God  requires,  —  then  it  is  very  clear  that 
the  state  of  mind  does  not  exist,  which,  in  the  language 
of  religious  experience,  is  denominated  "  interior  anni- 
hilation." There  is  still  a  vigorous  portion  of  the  life 
of  the  "  old  man,"  which  has  not  been  slain.  And 
hence  it  is,  that  we  lay  down  the  extinction  of  the  love 
of  created  things,  or  "love  of  the  creatures,"  with  the 
explanation  and  illustration  of  the  meaning  of  the  terms 
just  given,  as  one  of  the  characteristics  of  the  state 
of  mind    under    consideration.     Of   a   person    who   is 


364  ON    THE    TRUE    IDEA    OF    INTERIOR 

thus  interiorly  annihilated  it  can  be  truly  said,  "he  is 
crucified  to  the  world,  and  the  world  is  crucified  to 
him." 

Second.  Another  mark  or  characteristic  of  that  state 
of  mind  which  is  described  as  interior  annihilation,  is  ^Ac 
extinction  of  self-will.  He  who  is  annihilated  and  lost 
to  himself  has  no  will  of  his  own.  We  ought  to  re- 
mark here,  that,  when  we  speak  of  the  extinction  of 
inordinate  creature-love  and  of  self-will,  we  do  no' 
mean  to  imply  that  the  mind  is  rendered  naturally  Oi 
physically  incapable  of  such  irregular  exercises ;  but 
merely  that  the  work  of  grace  in  the  heart  has  been  so 
deep,  that  there  is,  at  the  present  time,  a  practical  ex- 
tinction of  all  such  wrong  internal  acts.  We  are  no 
longer  troubled  with  them.  Acting  from  supreme  love 
to  God  has  become  the  confirmed  principle  and  habit  of 
the  mind  ;  so  that  sensual  pleasure,  and  worldly  ap- 
plause, and  private  ends  of  whatever  kind,  have  lost 
their  power.  We  have  no  pleasure  of  our  own  ;  we 
have  no  desires  of  our  own  :  we  have  no  will  of  our 
own.  Under  all  circumstances,  rejecting  all  wisdom  and 
all  plans  originating  in  ourselves,  our  inquiry  is,  "  What 
wilt  thou  have  me  to  do?"  "God  within  us,"  the 
divine  image,  living  operatively  in  the  soul,  is  the  all- 
powerful  and  absorbing  principle. 

Third.  The  state  of  interior  nothingness  is  charac- 
terized, further,  by  the  extinction  of  the  power  of  antece- 
dent evil  habits.  A  person  may  be  sanctified  to  God, 
his  heart  may  be  pure  in  the  divine  sight,  and  still  there 
may  be  a  constant  struggle  on  the  part  of  the  "  old 
man,"  or  the  "  old  nature,"  to  regain  possession.  It  is 
difficult  to  explain  this,  viz.,  that  a  truly  holy  heart  may 
still  have  a  struggle  antagonistical  to  sin,  and  oftentimes 
a  fearful  struggle ;  but  it  is  probably  owing,  in  addition 
to  the  direct  temptations  of  Satan,  to  the  tremendous 
power  of  antecedent  evil  habits.  The  principle  of  self- 
love,  for  instance,  may  by  divine  grace  be  redeemed  from 
its  selfish  attitude,  and  may  be  brought  to  its  true  sub- 
jective position,  and  become  a  holy  principle  ;  and  yet,  in 


ANNIHILATION    OR    NOTHINGNESS.  365 

consequence  of  its  previous  habits  of  inordinate  exer- 
cise, there  may  be  a  strong  tendency,  which  requires 
constant  resistance,  to  resume  its  former  position  of  ir- 
regularity and  sin.  This  tendency  is  not,  properly 
speaking,  in  the  principle  itself;  but  is  forced  upon  it 
exteriorly,  if  we  may  so  express  it,  by  the  law  of  habit ; 
and  therefore,  although  it  is  extremely  dangerous,  it  does 
not  appear  to  be  necessarily  sinful.  The  idea  may  here 
perhaps  be  illustrated  in  the  case  of  the  reformed  inebri- 
ate. He  has  refrained  from  drinking ;  but  the  influence 
of  the  antecedent  law  of  habit  is  still  felt  in  his  system. 
He  is  no  longer  guilty  of  the  sin  of  drinking  ;  but  his 
liability  to  fall  into  this  sin  is  greatly  increased  by  his 
antecedent  evil  habit.  There  is,  undoubtedly,  some- 
thing mysterious  in  this  ;  but  it  seems,  nevertheless,  to 
be  true.  He  feels  that,  in  consequence  of  his  former 
evil  habits,  the  enemy  is  near  at  hand  and  in  great  pow- 
er ;  that  his  danger  is  thereby  increased,  and  that  he 
must  always  be  in  the  attitude  of  watchfulness  and  of 
resistance.  Something  like  this  is  the  case  with  those 
who  have  just  entered  into  that  state  where  they  can 
say  they  "love  the  Lord  with  all  their  heart."  The 
enemy  is  cast  out ;  but  he  avails  himself  of  the  influ- 
ence of  the  law  of  habit,  to  take  a  hostile  attitude  and 
to  seek  a  reentrance. 

Now,  when  a  person  has  experienced  the  state  of  in- 
terior nothingness,  as  it  is  conveniently,  perhaps,  and  i 
yet  not  accurately  termed,  he  has,  by  divine  grace,  not 
only  succeeded  in  conquering  sin  in  the  gigantic  forms 
of  creature-love  and  of  self-will,  but  in  breaking  down 
the  perplexing  influence  and  the  unfavorable  tendency 
of  former  habits.  And  hence  there  is  a  vast  accession 
to  his  power,  and  to  his  tendency  to  union  with  God. 
Satan  himself,  in  the  presentation  of  his  temptations, 
has  comparatively  but  little  influence  over  such  a  soul. 
He  has,  comparatively  speaking,  no  basis  to  operate 
upon  ;  no  way  of  secret,  circuitous,  and  indirect  attack  ,• 
but  must  come  boldly  up  and  make  his  attack  face  to 
face,  as  he  did  in  his  temptation  of  the  bfossed  Savior; 
31* 


366         ON  THE  TRUE  ILEA  OF  INTERIOR 

and  this  he  would  rather  not  do,  if  he  can  approach  th6 
object  of  his  attack  in  some  other  way. 

Fourth.  It  is  a  further  characteristic  of  the  mental 
state  which  we  are  considering,  that  a  person  in  this 
state  of  mind  has  no  disposition  to  exercise  self-reflecting 
acts,  originating  either  in  undue  self-love  or  in  a  want  of 
faith.  What  I  mean  to  say  is,  that,  when  he  has  done 
his  duty,  he  no  longer  turns  back  upon  himself  and 
asks,  as  the  half-way  Christian  often  does,  "  What  does  the 
world  think  of  me  ? "  Divested  of  all  selfish  purposes 
and  aims,  and  having  no  will  of  his  own,  he  acts  delib- 
erately and  supremely  for  God  ;  and  therefore  he  feels 
that  whatever  is  done,  so  far  as  motives  and  intentions 
are  concerned,  is  well  done.  In  that  respect,  no  trouble 
enters  his  mind.  There  is  no  need  of  retrospection  ;  no 
need  of  apologies  to  cavillers.  Indeed,  he  can  scarcely 
be  said  to  exercise  retrospective  acts  and  reflections  upon 
himself  in  any  sense  whatever.  Such  acts  seem  to  be, 
to  some  extent,  inconsistent  with  the  fact  that  his  heart 
is  fixed  exclusively  upon  an  object  out  of  himself .  What 
is  done,  stands  written  in  the  record  of  his  Divine  Mas- 
ter ;  and  there  he  leaves  it.  His  whole  soul  is  given 
to  the  present  moment.  The  present  moment  is  given 
to  God. 

Fifth.  Another  and  remarkable  characteristic  of  this 
state  of  mind  is  this  :  He  who  is  the  subject  of  it  is  dead 
and  crucified  to  all  internal  joys,  also,  as  well  as  to  all 
pleasures  and  joys  of  an  external  kind.  He  has  no  sym- 
pathy with  those  who  are  always  crying,  "  Make  me 
happy — pay  me  well,  and  I  will  be  holy."  Per- 
sonal happiness,  as  a  supreme  or  even  a  separate  object 
of  desire,  never  enters  his  thought.  It  makes  no  dif- 
ference what  the  form  of  that  happiness  is,  whether 
pleasures  of  the  senses  or  pleasures  of  the  mind.  He  is 
willing  to  abandon  and  sacrifice  even  the  pure  and  sub- 
lime pleasure,  almost  the  only  consolation  left  to  him  h\ 
this  sad  world,  which  flows  from  communion  with  those 
who,  like  himself,  are  sanctified  to  God.  His  true  hap- 
piness consists  in  hanging  upon  the  cross,  and  in  being 


\ 


ANNIHILATION    0R\  NOTHINGNESS.  367 

crucified  to  self.  Whether  he  is  tempted  or  not  tempted, 
interiorly  and  in  the  bottom  of  his  heart  he  can  say,  "  All 
is  well."  Whether  he  suffers  or  does  not  suffer,  the  throne 
of  peace  is  erected  in  the  centre  of  his  soul.  Wretchedness 
and  joy  are  alike.  He  welcomes  sorrow,  even  the  deep- 
est sorrow  of  the  heart,  with  as  warm  a  gush  of  grati- 
tude as  he  welcomes  happiness,  if  the  will  of  God  is 
ACCOMPLISHED.  In  that  will  his  soul  is  lost,  as  in  a  bot- 
tomless ocean.  ''Lord,  1  will  not  follow  thee,"  says  a 
devout  person,  "  by  the  way  of  consolations  and  self- 
pleasures,  but  only  by  love.  I  desire  thee  only,  and 
nothing  out  of  thee,  for  myself.  If  I  ever  mention  any 
thing  as  appertaining  to  me,  if  I  name  myself,  I  mean 
thee  only  ;  for  thou  only  art  me  and  mine.  My  whole 
essence  is  in  thee.  I  desire  nothing  which  comes  from 
thee,  but  thee  thyself.  I  had  rather  suffer  forever  the 
cruel  torments  of  hell,  than  enjoy  eternal  happiness 
without  thee.  If  I  knew  I  should  be  annihilated,  yet 
would  I  serve  thee  with  the  same  zeal  ;  for  it  is  not 
for  my  sake,  but  thine,  that  I  serve  thee.  O,  how 
great  is  my  joy,  that  thou  art  sovereignly  good  and 
perfect!  "  * 

In  connection  with  what  has  been  said,  it  will  not  be 
surprising  when  we  say  fin-ther,  that  the  person  to  whom 
these  statements  will  apply,  makes  but  little  account  of 
raptures,  visions,  ecstasies,  special  illuminations,  sudden 
and  remarkable  impressions,  or  any  thing  of  the  kind, 
except  so  far  as  they  tend  (which,  alas  !  is  frequently  not 
the  case)  to  extinguish  self,  and  to  lead  the  soul  into  the 
abyss  of  the  Supreme  Divinity. 

Finally.  The  soul  that  has  reached  the  centre  of 
its  Nothing,  (that  is,  is  absolutely  and  forever  nothing 
relatively  to  self,)  remains  without  resistance  in  the 
hands  of  God,  like  clay  in  the  hands  of  the  potter.  It 
has  become  perfectly  pliable  and  impressible  to  the  di- 


*  Cardinal  Bona,  as  quoted  in  Fenelon's  Pastoral  Letter  on  the  Love 
of  God.  See  also,  for  similar  sentiments,  Bona's  Principes  de  la  Vie 
Chr^tienne,  ch.  47. 


368 


ON  THE  TRUE  IDEA  OF  INTERIOR 


vine  touch.  Such  a  soul  is  peculiarly  the  subject  ot 
that  ennobling  form  of  prayer,  which  is  called  in  certain 
writers  the  Receptive  or  Passive  Prayer  ;  that  is  to  say, 
a  prayer  which  is  inspired  rather  than  self-originated  — 
which  is  given  rather  than  self-produced.  Entirely  di- 
vested of  those  habits  of  self-activity  which  are  so 
common,  and  which,  in  consequence  of  preceding  or  of 
perplexing  the  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  are  so  in- 
jurious, the  soul  remains  quiet  and  childlike  in  the  diviue 
presence.  Like  the  placid  lake,  that  receives,  and  re- 
flects to  the  eye  of  the  beholder,  the  image  of  trees  and 
flowers  on  its  banks,  returning  image  for  image,  without 
a  stem  disarranged  or  a  petal  broken ;  so,  in  all  the  hid- 
den aspirations  which  it  constantly  sends  forth,  it  pas- 
sively and  almost  unconsciously  receives  and  reflects 
the  image  of  God  — an  image  which  is  not  distorted  by 
the  mixture  of  self-originated  acts,  nor  marred  by  the 
disturbing  power  of  internal  agitation.  God  loves  to 
leave  the  impress  of  his  blessed  image  on  the  self-anni- 
hilated soul  ;  and  the  prayer  which  it  breathes,  as  it  is 
not  self-moved,  but  moves  as  it  is  moved  upon,  may 
truly  be  regarded  as  the  praying  breath  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  who  always  dwells  in  the  soul  that  knows  itself 
no  more. 

We  may  see,  therefore,  how  strong  must  be  the  posi- 
tion of  the  Divine  Mind  (the  Deus  agens  inter,  as  it 
has  been  expressed  in  the  Latin)  in  the  self-annihilated 
soul — a  soul,  in  the  language  of  Michael  de  Molinos, 
"  desiring  as  if  it  did  not  desire  ;  willing  as  if  it  did  not 
will ;  understanding  as  if  it  did  not  understand ;  think- 
ing as  if  it  did  not  think  ;  without  inclining  to  any 
thing,  [that  is,  independently  of  the  will  of  God;]  em- 
bracing equally  contempts  and  honors,  benefits  and  cor- 
rections. O,  what  a  happy  soul  is  this,  which  is  thus 
dead  and  annihilated !  It  lives  no  longer  in  itself,  be- 
cause God  lives  in  it.  And  now  it  may  most  truly  be 
said  of  it,  that  it  is  a  renewed  phoenix,  because  it  is 
changed,  spiritualized,  and  transformed  into  the  divine 
image." 


ANNIHILATION    OK    NOTHINGNESS.  36^ 

And  again,  he  says,  "  We  seek  ourselves  every  time 
we  get  out  of  our  Nothing ;  and,  therefore,  we  never 
get  to  quiet  and  perfect  contemplation.  Creep  in,  as  far 
as  ever  thou  canst,  into  the  truth  of  thy  Nothing  ;  and 
then  nothing  will  disquiet  thee  ;  nay,  thou  wilt  be  hum- 
ole  and  ashamed,  losing  openly  thy  own  reputation  and 
esteem. 

"  O,  what  a  strong  bulwark  wilt  thou  find  of  that 
Nothing  I  Who  can  ever  afflict  thee,  if  thou  dost  once 
retire  into  that  fortress !  Because  the  soul,  which  is 
despised  by  itself,  and  in  its  own  knowledge  is  nothing, 
is  not  capable  of  receiving  grievance  or  injury  from  any 
body.  The  soul  which  keeps  within  its  Nothingness 
is  internally  silent,  lives  resigned  in  any  torment  what- 
soever, by  thinking  it  less  than  it  doth  deserve  ;  is  free 
from  abundance  of  imperfections,  and  becomes  com- 
mander of  great  virtues.  While  the  soul  keeps  still  and 
quiet    in   its  Nothingness,  the   Lord    draws    his  own 

IMAGE     AND     LIKENESS      IN     IT,    WITHOUT      ANY     THING     TO 
HINDER    IT."  * 

*  See  the  Abstract  of  the  Spiritual  Guide  of  Molinos,  chf    19,  20. 


^ro 


CHAPTER    THIRTEENTH. 


ON   THE    STATE   OF   UNION   WITH   GOD. 

Among  the  higher  forms  of  Christian  experience,  as 
we  find  them  described  by  writers  on  experimental  reli- 
gion, there  is  a  state  of  mind  which  we  find  denominated 
the  state  of  union.  It  is  also  frequently  called,  by  a 
phrase  which  intimates  the  same  thing,  the  unitive  state 
of  mind.  This  state  of  mind  is  not  unfrequently  implied, 
and  even  described,  by  devout  writers,  without  a  formal 
mention  of  it  by  name.  Archbishop  Leighton,  for  in- 
stance, speaks  of  the  Christian  who  perceives  himself 
"  knit  to  God,  and  his  soul  more  fast  and  joined  nearer 
to  him  than  to  his  own  body."  The  following  prayer 
is  ascribed  to  John  Climacns,  many  centuries  since  a 
devout  and  learned  recluse  of  Mount  Sinai.  "  My  God, 
I  pretend  to  nothing  upon  this  earth,  except  to  be  so 
firmly  united  to  thee  by  prayer,  that  to  be  separated 
from  thee  may  be  impossible.  Let  others  desire  riches 
and  glory ;  for  my  part  I  desire  but  one  thing,  and  that 
is,  to  be  inseparably  united  to  thee,  and  to  place  in 
thee  alone  all  my  hopes  of  happiness  and  repose."  These 
expressions  indicate  a  full  belief,  on  the  part  of  this  de- 
vout person,  of  the  existence  of  the  state  of  present  mental 
union  with  God,  as  well  as  earnest  desire  for  it.  There 
are  repeated  allusions  to  this  state  of  mind  in  the  works 
of  Kempis  and  Tauler  ;  writers  who,  although  Catholics, 
are  favorably  mentioned  by  Luther,  and  have  always 
been  much  esteemed  by  Protestant  Christians.  Sir 
Henry  Vane,  one  of  the  English  Puritans,  a  man  reli- 
giously as  well  as  politically  memorable,  wrote  a  religious 
treatise,  which  iu  part  had  express  relation  to  this  subject, 


ON    THE    STATE    OF    UNION    WITH    GOD.  O/l 

entitled,  On  the  Love  of  God,  and  Union  with  God. 
Many  pious  persons  in  more  modern  times,  and  in  difter- 
ent  denominations  of  Christians,  have  spoken  very  em- 
phatically of  their  union  with  the  Divine  Mind,  and  in 
such  way  as  to  leave  the  impression,  that  they  consid- 
ered the  state  of  union  as  a  distinct  and  peculiar  as  well 
as  a  very  desirable  and  eminent  modification  of  Christian 
experience.  "  Time  would  fail  me,"  says  Lady  Maxwell, 
"  to  tell  of  the  numberless  manifestations  of  divine  love 
and  power.  I  have,  though  deeply  unworthy,  been  fa- 
vored with  such  wonderful  lettings  into  Deity  as  no 
language  can  describe  or  explain  ;  but  the  whole  soul 
dilates  itself  in  the  exquisite  enjoyment ;  so  refined,  so 
pure,  so  tempered  with  sacred  awe,  so  guarded  by  heav- 
enly solemnity,  as  effectually  to  prevent  all  irregularity  of 
desires.  These,  with  every  power  of  the  mind,  bow  in 
holy  subjection  before  Jehovah.  Surely  the  feelings  of 
the  soul  on  these  memorable  occasions  are  nearly  similar 
to  those  enjoyed  by  the  heavenly  inhabitants.  I  have 
it  still  to  remark,  that  all  my  intercourse  with  God  the 
Father  is  strongly  marked  with  that  superior  solemnity 
and  awe  which  lay  and  keep  the  soul  in  the  dust,  yet 
raised  to  that  holy  dignity  which  flows  from  a  con- 
sciousness of  union  with  the  Deity.'''' 

First.  Proceeding  now  to  make  a  (ew  general  remarks 
in  explanation  of  the  subject,  we  observe,  in  the  first 
place,  that  the  name  Unitive  State,  or  State  of  Divine 
Union,  is  derived  from  the  peculiar  state  of  mind  which 
exists.  The  precise  state  of  the  soul,  stated  in  general 
terms,  seems  to  be  one  of  close  and  ineffable  conformity 
with  the  Divine  Mind.  It  is  called  the  state  of  union, 
therefore,  simply  because  it  is  such.  We  cannot  help 
regarding  this  state  of  mind,  if  it  be  rightly  understood, 
as  a  scriptural  one.  Is  it  too  much  to  say,  that  there  is  a 
recognition  of  it  in  those  remarkable,  and  to  some  persons 
inexplicable  passages  which  are  found  in  the  latter  part 
of  John's  Gospel?  —  passages  which,  however  mysteri- 
ous they  may  appear  to  many  at  the  present  time,  have 
nevertheless  a  real  meaning  ;  and,  as  tlie  church  advances 


372  ON    THE    STATE    OF    UNION    WITH    GOD. 

in  holiness,  will  undoubtedly  be  made  clear  and  full  of 
import  in  connection  with  the  personal  experience  of 
multitudes.  "Neither  pray  I  for  these  alone;  but  for 
them  also,  which  shall  believe  on  me  through  their  word. 
That  they  may  all  be  one  ;  as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me 
and  1  in  thee,  that  they  also  may  be  one  in  us,  that  the 
world  may  believe  that  thou  hast  sent  me.  And  the 
glory,  which  thou  gavest  me,  I  have  given  them,  that 
they  may  be  one,  even  as  we  are  one.  I  in  them  and 
thou  in  me,  that  they  may  be  made  perfect  in  one  ;  and 
that  the  world  may  know  that  thou  hast  sent  me,  and 
hast  loved  them  as  thou  hast  loved  me."  John  xvii. 
20,  23. 

Second.  The  following  principle  appears  to  lie  at  the 
foundation  of  the  doctrine  of  divine  union,  as  we  find  it 
represented  in  various  writers,  viz. :  That  all  moral  and 
accountable  beings,  just  in  proportion  as  they  are  freed 
from  the  dominion  of  sin,  have  a  natural  and  inherent 
tendency  to  unite  with  God.  Of  the  correctness  of  this 
principle,  when  properly  understood,  there  does  not 
appear  to  be  any  reasonable  doubt.  It  is  nothing 
more  nor  less  than  this,  —  that  holy  beings  recognize  in 
each  other  a  mutual  relationship  of  character,  and  are  led, 
by  the  very  necessities  of  their  nature,  to  seek  each  other 
in  the  reciprocal  exercise  of  love.  In  other  words,  noth- 
ing appears  to  them  so  exceedingly  good,  desirable,  and 
lovely  as  holiness,  whenever  and  wherever  found.  Ac- 
cordingly, just  as  soon  as  we  feel  that  our  sins  are  par- 
doned, atid  have  an  inward  consciousness  that  faith  in 
Christ,  who  is  "  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life,"  is 
working  by  love  and  purifying  the  heart,  we  begin  to 
feel  also  a  secret  union  with  the  Savior,  not  only  as  our 
atoning  sacrifice,  but  as  a  holy  being,  and  as  a  true 
representative  of  the  Divinity  in  the  flesh.  And  just  in 
proportion  as  we  grow  in  grace  and  become  free  from 
sin,  we  shall  find  this  state  of  union  with  the  Savior 
increasing.  And  union  with  Christ  (a  real  union,  such 
as  that  of  the  branch  when  it  is  united  to  the  vine)  is 
followed,  in  the  natural  progress  of  the  religious  lifc; 


ON    THE    STATE    OF    UNION    WITH    GOD.  373 

Dy  union,  through  Christ  and  in  Christ,  with  God  the 
Father  ;  in  accordance  with  the  remarkable  prayer  of  the 
Savior,  which  has  aheady  been  referred  to,  "  that  they 
all  may  be  one  ;  as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me  and  I  in 
thee,  that  they  also  may  be  one  in  us."  And  it  is  in 
accordance  with  this  view,  that  Lady  Maxwell,  whose 
religious  experience,  especially  in  the  latter  part  of  her 
life,  is  exceedingly  interesting  and  instructive,  remarks^ 
in  expressions  which  convey  an  important  truth,  though 
perhaps  liable  to  be  misunderstood,  "  Jehovah  teaches 
and  enables  me  to  pass  through  Jesus  as  the  icay  to 
himself.''''  In  a  single  word,  union,  (whether  we  look  at 
the  subject  in  the  light  of  nature  or  in  the  light  of  God's 
word,)  union,  pure,  strong,  inseparable,  and  without 
regard  to  natural  or  physical  differences,  is  the  one  great 
and  necessary  law  of  holy  beings.  Just  in  proportion  as 
our  sin  is  taken  away,  the  element  of  separation  is  taken 
away;  and  the  soul,  delivered  from  the  clogs  which 
fastened  it  to  that  which  is  not  God,  returns  instinctively 
and  unerringly  to  the  Infinite  Centre. 

And  it  should  not  be  forgotten,  also,  that  there  is  the 
same  tendency  ou  the  part  of  God,  a  tendency  which 
his  holy  nature  renders  necessary  and  invariable,  to  enter 
into  this  intimate  union.  No  matter  how  inferior  holy 
beings  may  be  ;  they  may  be  mere  insects  in  capacity  ; 
still  the  holy  heart  of  God  loves  them,  seeks  them, 
becomes  one  with  them.  In  a  very  important  sense, 
inasmuch  as  their  holiness  cannot  be  regarded  as  ^self- 
originated,  they  are  a  part  of  himself  by  their  very  na- 
ture. Hence  the  doctrine  so  distinctly  and  strikingly 
laid  down  in  the  writings  of  Dr.  Cudworth.  Speaking 
of  holiness,  he  says,  "  If  it  be  but  hearty  and  sincere,  it 
can  no  more  be  cut  off  and  discontinued  from  God,  than 
a  sunbeam  here  upon  earth  can  be  broken  off  from  its 
intercourse  with  the  sun,  and  be  left  alone  amidst  the  mire 
and  dirt  of  this  lower  world.  Holiness  is  something  of 
God,  wherever  it  is.  It  is  an  efflux  from  him,  that 
always  hangs  upon  him  and  lives  in  him  ;  as  the  sun- 
beams, although  they  gild  this  lower  world,  and  spread 
32 


374  ON    THE    STATE    OF    UNION    WITH    GOD. 

their  golden  wings  over  us,  yet  they  are  not  so  much 
here,  where  they  shine,  as  in  the  sun,  from  whence  they 
flow."  The  necessity  of  this  union  on  the  part  of  holy 
beings,  and  on  the  part  of  God,  as  well  as  on  the  part  of 
other  holy  beings,  seems  to  me  to  be  clearly  implied  in 
that  beautiful  passage  of  Scripture,  "  God  is  love  ;  and 
he  that  dwelleth  in  love,  dwelleth  in  God,  and  God  in 
him." 

Third.  We  remark  again,  in  the  third  place,  that 
union  with  God,  considered  as  a  form  of  Christian  expe- 
rience, is  not  a  physical  union,  a  union  of  essence  with 
essence  physically,  but  a  moral  and  religious  union.  It 
would  hardly  be  necessary  to  make  this  remark,  were  it 
not  that  some  pious  writers  on  this  subject  make  use  of 
strong  expressions,  which  may  be  easily  misunderstood 
and  misapplied,  but  which  obviously  were  not  designed 
to  be,  and  ought  not  to  be,  taken  in  their  physical  or  lit- 
eral import.  The  passages  of  Scripture  which  recog- 
nize and  which  require  the  union  of  the  regenerated 
mind  of  man  with  the  mind  of  his  Maker,  or  with  the 
mind  of  Christ,  are  in  some  instances  exceedingly  strong, 
and  seem  to  require  a  modified  interpretation.  All  that 
is  necessary  is,  that  we  should  exhibit  in  other  cases  the 
discrimination  and  candor  which  generally  characterize 
our  interpretations  of  the  Scriptures.  But  although  we 
are  not  to  understand,  from  the  language  of  the  writers 
on  this  subject,  that  there  is  a  physical  union,  or  a  union 
which  would  imply,  in  any  sense,  the  loss  of  our  own 
personality  and  accountability,  they  undoubtedly  mean 
to  teach  the  existence  and  the  reality  of  a  moral  and 
religious  union,  as  close  and  intimate  as  such  a  union 
possibly  can  be  ;  a  union  entirely  analogous,  in  all  prob- 
ability, to  that  pure  and  blessed  union,  which  existed 
between  Christ  Jesus,  considered  in  his  human  nature, 
and  his  heavenly  Father. 

Fourth.  The  existence  of  the  unitive  state  does  not 
necessarily  imply  inward  manifestations  and  raptures  of 
an  extraordinary  kind.  On  the  contrary,  such  manifes- 
tations, and  joys  and  raptures,  of  a  remarkable  character. 


ON    THE    STATE    OF     JNION     (VITH    UOD.  37 i> 

which  would  be  likely  to  attract  attention  to  themselves 
as  distinct  objects  of  notice,  and  thus  nourish  the  life  of 
self,  would  be  unfavorable,  rather  than  otherwise,  to  the 
existence  of  the  state  of  mind  under  consideration.  This 
state  of  mind  implies,  however,  the  existence,  in  the 
highest  degree,  of  those  two  great  elements  of  the  reli- 
gious life,  to  which  the  reader's  attention  has  been  repeat- 
edly called,  viz..  Consecration,  which  separates  us  from 
every  known  sin,  and  lays  all  upon  the  altar  of  God  as  a 
perpetual  sacrifice  ;  and  Faith,  which  leaves  all  in  God's 
hands,  and  which  receives  and  accepts  no  wisdom,  no 
goodness,  no  strength,  but  what  comes  from  God  as  the 
true  source  of  inward  and  everlasting  life.  Consecration 
renounces  the  all  of  the  creature  ;  faith  recognizes  and 
accepts  the  all  of  God.  Consecration  implies  the  rejec- 
tion and  hatred  of  all  evil ;  faith  implies  the  reception 
and  love  of  all  good.  The  one  alienates,  abhors,  and 
tramples  under  foot  all  unsanctified  natured  desires,  aims, 
and  purposes ;  the  other  approves,  receives,  and  makes 
a  part  of  its  own  self,  all  the  desires,  aims,  and  purposes 
of  God  ;  and  both  are  implied  and  involved,  and  are 
carried  to  their  highest  possible  exercise,  in  the  state  of 
divine  union. 

Fifth.  The  mind,  in  the  state  of  union  with  God,  is 
disposed  to  indulge  in  subdued  and  affectionate  acts  of 
contemplation,  rather  than  in  examinative  and  discursive 
or  reasoning  acts.  It  is  undoubtedly  the  case,  that  the 
mind  may  remain  fixed  upon  God,  and  may  be  in  a  cer- 
tain sense  united  to  him,  in  what  may  variously  be 
called  a  perceptive,  reflective,  or  discursive  manner ;  that 
is  to  say,  engaged  in.  a  perceptive  or  speculative  view  of 
him,  occupied  in  the  critical  examination  of  his  various 
attributes,  his  justice,  wisdom,  and  goodness,  or  some- 
thing of  the  kind.  But  something  more  than  this  kind 
of  union  is  implied  in  the  state  of  mind  which  we  are 
now  speaking  of.  The  examinative  or  discursive  state 
of  the  mind  implies  the  presence  of  God  to  the  intellect 
merely  ;  the  contemplative  state,  although  not  altogether 
Rxcluding  an  intellectual  view,  implies  his  presence  to 


376  ON    THE     STATE     OF    UNION    WITH    GOD. 

the  heart.  And  it  is  on  this  ground  that  we  make  the 
remark,  that  the  mind,  in  the  state  of  divine  union,  is 
-ather  contemplative  than  perceptive  and  examinative 

I  have  sometimes  supposed,  that  something  Hke  the 
unitive  state  of  mind,  which  it  is  so  difficult  to  describe, 
might  perhaps  exist  in  the  case  of  a  blind  child,  who 
has  an  attentive  and  affectionate  father.  The  child, 
being  blind  from  birth,  has  visually  and  perceptively  no 
distinct  knowledge  of  his  father.  But  he  knows  there 
is  an  object  present  to  him,  though  unseen  ;  and  that 
this  outward  and  unseen  being  is  ever  beneficent  and 
ever  active  in  securing  his  happiness.  He  has  but  an 
indefinite  and  obscure  notion  of  his  form,  and  is  not 
capable  of  any  accurate  analysis  of  his  character;  but 
his  mind  rests  in  the  general  complex  idea  of  an  ever- 
present  being,  who,  although  he  is  unseen,  and  in 
many  of  his  attributes  is  essentially  unknown,  is  never- 
theless the  precise  object  which  of  all  others  is  the 
most  fitted  to  secure,  and  is  the  most  worthy  of,  his  love. 
It  is  thus  contemplatively  rather  than  discursively  that 
his  father  is  ever  present  to  his  thoughts,  and  is  ever 
the  object  of  his  almost  adoring  affections. 

Sixth.  The  state  of  divine  union  may  exist  under 
two  modifications  ;  the  one  characterized  by  our  being 
distinctly  conscious  of  its  existence,  the  other  without 
such  consciousness.  The  union  of  the  human  with  the 
divine  mind,  when  it  is  once  originated,  is  not  easily 
broken.  The  fact,  for  instance,  of  our  being  taken  up 
at  times  with  indispensable  worldly  cares,  does  not 
necessarily  destroy  the  state  of  union,  although  we  may 
not  be  distinctly  percipient  or  conscious  of  it  at  such 
times.  But  what  we  wish  to  remark  here  is,  that  the 
state  in  question,  whenever  it  is  the  subject  of  distinct 
inward  notice  or  consciousness,  seems  to  be  character- 
ized, among  other  marks,  by  a  tendency,  not  only  to 
inward  contemplation,  but  to  outward  silence.  At  such 
times  the  soul  appears  to  know  but  one  object,  and  that 
is  God ;  and  to  have  but  one  feeling,  and  that  is  love. 
Tt   is  drawn  inwardly  ;  and   outward  objects    seem   to 


ON    THE     STATE    OF    UNION    WITH    GOD,  377 

have  but  little  influence.  Hence  words  are  few.  It 
has  but  little  disposition  to  express  even  what  itself 
feels.  In  fact,  the  conversation  which  is  carried  on  at 
such  times  between  the  soul  and  God  is  too  high  for 
human  language  ;  and,  what  is  more,  it  is  carried  on 
with  a  Being  who  can  understand  the  soul's  meaning 
without  the  medium  of  human  speech.  The  conversa- 
tion is  with  God,  and  not  with  men  ;  and  is  in  God's 
manner,  and  not  after  the  manner  of  men ;  and,  there- 
fore, it  would  be  difficult  to  repeat  it,  even  if  there  were 
a  disposition  to  do  it.  The  soul,  in  its  attitude  of  serene 
and  fixed  contemplation,  continually  but  si7e«Y/y  repeats 
to  itself  sentiments  of  trust  and  adoration,  of  gratitude 
and  love.  God  recognizes  the  import  of  this  hidden 
language,  and  returns  it,  by  condescendingly  unveiling 
himself  in  his  amiableness  and  benevolence.  There  is 
a  constant  flowing  and  re-flowing  of  afiection ;  love 
ascending  to  God  and  love  returning  ;  so  that  there  ifi 
not  only  a  consciousness  of  love  to  God  on  the  part  of 
the  person ;  but,  what  is  yet  more  striking,  there  is  a 
consciousness,  or  rather  a  deeply-wrought  conviction, 
that  God  loves  him  in  return.  He  can  say,  in  the  beau- 
tiful expressions  of  the  Canticles,  "  Thou  dost  place  thy 
left  hand  under  my  head,  and  with  thy  right  hand 
thou  dost  embrace  me  ;  and  thy  banner  over  me  is 
lovo." 

Seventh.  It  is  very  obvious,  that  this  state  of  mind 
cannot  be  fully  understood,  except  in  connection  with 
inward  experience.  In  the  language  of  the  author  of 
the  Life  of  Sir  Henry  Vane,  "  Divine  life  must  have 
divine  words ;  words  which  the  Holy  Ghost  teacheth, 
to  give  its  own  character."  *  Therefore  we  will  not 
attempt  to  pursue  the  topic  any  further  than  to  say,  that 
the  state  of  union  with  God,  when  it  is  the  subject  of 
distinct  consciousness,  constitutes,  without  being  neces- 
sarily characterized  by  revelations  or  raptures,  the  soul's 
spiritual  festival,  a  season  of  special  interior  blessedness, 

*  Life  of  Sir  Henry  Vane,  anonymous,  printed  in  1662. 

32* 


678  ON    THE    STATE    OF    UNION    WITH    GOD. 

a  foretaste  of  heaven.  The  mind,  unaffected  by  worldly 
vicissitudes  and  the  strifes  and  oppositions  of  men, 
reposes  deeply  in  a  state  of  happy  submission  and  qui- 
etude, in  accordance  with  the  expressions  in  the  Epistle 
to  the  Hebrews,  that  those  who  believe  "  enter  into 
REST."  So  true  it  is,  in  the  language  of  Kempis,  that 
"he  who  comprehendeth  all  things  in  His  will,  and 
beholdeth  all  things  in  His  light,  hath  his  heart  fixed, 
and  abideth  in  the  peace  of  God."  And  in  the  language 
of  Blosius,  another  devout  writer  of  early  times,  such 
holy  souls  "  enjoy  the  most  calm  and  peaceable  liberty, 
being  lifted  up  above  all  fear  and  agitation  of  mind  con- 
cerning death  or  hell,  or  any  other  things  which  might 
happen  to  the  soul,  either  in  time  or  in  eternity."  How 
can  there  be  otherwise  than  the  peace  of  God,  pure, 
beautiful,  sublime,  when  consecration  is  without  reserve 
and  faith  is  without  limit  ;  and  especially  when  self- 
will,  the  great  evil  of  our  fallen  nature,  is  eradicated 
and  subdued?  What  higher  idea  can  we  have  of  the 
most  advanced  Christian  experience,  than  that  of  entire 
union  with  the  Divine  Will,  by  a  subjection  of  the  hu- 
man will  ?  When  the  will  of  man,  ceasing  from  its  di- 
vergences and  its  disorderly  vibrations,  becomes  fixed 
to  one  point,  henceforward  immovable,  always  harmo- 
nizing, moment  by  moment,  with  God's  central  and  ab- 
sorbing purposes,  then  we  may  certainly  say  that  the 
soul,  in  the  language  which  is  sometimes  applied  to  it, 
and  in  a  modified  sense  of  the  terms,  has  become  not 
only  perfected  in  faith  and  love,  but  "  united  and  one 
with  God,"  and  "  transformed  into  the  divine  nature."  — 
^^  He  that  is  joined  to  the  Lord  is  one  spirit. ^^  And 
from  that  moment,  in  its  higher  nature,  and  so  far  as  it 
is  not  linked  to  earth  by  sympathies  which  its  God  has 
implanted,  and  which  were  smitten  and  bled,  even  in 
the  case  of  the  Savior,  the  soul  knows  sorrow  no  more  ; 
the  pain  of  its  inward  anguish  is  changed  into  rejoicing  ; 
It  has  passed  into  the  mount  of  stillness,  the  Tabor  of 
inward  transfiguration,  the  temple  of  unchanging  tran- 
quillity. 


ON    THE    STATE    OF    UNION    WITH    GOD  379 

"  O,  sacred  union  with  the  Perfect  Mind  ! 

Transcendent  bliss,  which  thou  alone  canst  give  ' 
IIow  blest  are  they  this  pearl  of  price  who  find, 

And,  dead  to  earth,  have  learned  in  thee  to  live  ' 

"  Thus,  in  thine  arms  of  love,  O  God,  I  lie  ; 

Lost,  and  forever  lost,  to  all  but  thee  ! 
My  happy  soul,  since  it  hath  learned  to  die, 

Hath  found  new  life  in  thine  infinity. 

♦  O,  go,  and  learn  this  lesson  of  the  Cross ; 

And  tread  the  way. which  saints  and  prophets  trod. 
Who,  counting  life,  and  self,  and  all  things  loss. 

Have  found,  in  inward  death,  the  life  of  God." 


380 


CHAPTER   FOURTEENTH. 

O^    VARIETIES   OF  CHRISTIAN    CHARACTER 

Much  more  might,  undoubtedly,  be  said  on  the  mtei- 
esting  and  important  subjects  to  which  our  attention 
has  been  directed.  But  we  leave  them,  for  the  present, 
to  the  serious  reflections  and  the  examination  of  others, 
with  a  few  additional  remarks  in  illustration  of  some 
varieties  of  Christian  character. 

First.  There  are  three  classes  of  Christians,  who 
seem  to  be  easily  distinguishable  from  each  other.  The 
first  class  are  those  who,  destitute,  in  a  considerable  de- 
gree, of  any  marked  spiritual  manifestations  and  joys, 
may  yet  be  said  to  possess  faith.  And  in  the  possession 
of  faith,  they  undoubtedly  have  the  eflfective  element 
of  the  inward  life.  Their  faith,  however,  is  weak. 
Their  language  is,  "Lord,  I  believe:  help  thou  mine  uji- 
helief.''^  They  have  but  little  strength.  In  general,  they 
move  feebly  and  slowly  ;  and  in  some  instances  scarcely 
show  signs  of  life.  Some,  however,  exhibit  a  little 
more  strength  and  activity  than  others  ;  and  God  honors 
them  by  employing  them  in  the  smaller  charges  and 
duties  of  his  church.  These  cases  are  not  without 
their  encouragement.  Such  persons  are  often  character- 
ized by  the  trait  of  humble  perseverance.  They  grow 
ui  grace,  though  not  rapidly  ;  and  not  unfrequently  be- 
come strong  in  the  end.  As  a  general  statement,  they 
have  not  much  to  say  in  any  period  of  their  experience ; 
but  they  are  not  wanting  in  sincerity,  and  they  cling  to 
the  cross  of  Christ,  as  the  foundation  of  their  hope.  It 
is  seldom  that  they  make  a  strong  impression  upon  the 
world  ;  but  their  example  is  generally  salutary.     These 


ON    VARIETIES    OF     CHRISTIAN     CHARACTER.  381 

are  not  those  who  have  been  caught  up  to  the  "  third 
heaven,"  and  have  seen  wonderful  things. 

Second.  The  second  class  are  those  who  have  had 
striking  manifestations  in  the  way  of  strong  convictions 
and  of  subsequent  great  illuminations.  From  time  to 
time,  a  remarkable  impulse,  a  divine  afflatus^  if  we  may 
so  express  it,  seems  to  come  upon  them,  and  they  are 
borne  on  in  a  gale.  Then  comes  a  calm  ;  and  they  tem- 
porarily make  but  little  progress.  Sometimes  they  have 
great  darkness  ;  but  it  is  alternated  with  gleams  of  light. 
Nor  is  the  light  which  they  have  always  the  pure  and  calm 
light  which  is  of  a  heavenly  origin  ;  but  sometimes  the 
red,  meteor-like  glare  of  an  earthly  fire.  They  may  be 
said  to  have  a  considerable  degree  of  faith  ;  but  they  evi- 
dently have  less  faith  than  feeling.  Their  mental  his- 
tory, however,  under  its  various  changes,  partakes  in  no 
small  degree  of  the  striking,  the  marvellous.  These 
persons  are  generally  the,  marked  ones,  the  particular 
and  bright  stars  in  the  church.  They  often  have  great 
gifts  ;  they  labor  for  God;  they  attract  attention.  They 
overwhelm  by  their  eloquence  ;  startle  by  their  new  and 
sometimes  heretical  views  ;  are  denunciatory,  argument- 
ative, prophetic,  just  as  the  occasion  may  call.  But 
their  movements  are  not  always  clear  of  self;  and  pride 
sometimes  lurks  at  the  bottom.  They  are  "  many  men 
\n  one  ;  "  without  true  fixedness  and  simplicity  of  char- 
acter ;  but  exhibiting  themselves  in  different  aspects, 
according  as  the  natural  or  the  spiritual  life  predomi- 
nates. Sometimes  they  are  sunk  deep  in  their  own 
nothingness  through  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God ; 
and  sometimes  they  are  up  in  the  ''  airy  mind  "  of  na- 
ture's "  inflatibility."  They  are  undoubtedly  very  useful ; 
aiding  themselves  in  the  things  of  religion,  and  aiding 
others ;  but  it  can  hardly  be  said  of  them,  that  their  life 
is  hid  with  Christ  in  God.  They  think  too  much  of 
their  own  efforts  and  powers ;  they  place  too  high  an 
estimate  on  human  instrumentality  ;  they  do  not  fully 
understand  the  secret  of  their  own  nothingness ;  nor  do 
they  know,  in  their  own  experience  and  to  its  full  extent, 


382  ON    VARIKTIES    OF     CHRISTIAN    CHARACTEK. 

the  meaning  of  self-crucifixion.  Hence  their  confusion 
when,  in  their  own  view,  things  do  not  go  right ;  hence 
their  evident  dejection,  when  the  voice  of  the  multitude 
is  suddenly  a  little  adverse  to  them ;  hence  their  plans, 
their  contrivances  —  too  much  like  the  plans  and  calcula- 
tions of  human  policy.  They  are  not  destitute  of  Chris- 
tian graces  ;  but  they  need  more  lowliness  of  heart,  and 
more  faith.  Nevertheless,  they  have  had  much  experi- 
ence of  the  divine  goodness.  God  owns  and  blesses 
them  ;  and  their  memorial  is  often  written  in  multitudes 
of  grateful  hearts. 

Third.  A  third  class  are  those  whose  life  may  be 
said  to  be  emphatically  a  life  of  faith,  attended 
with  an  entire  renunciation  and  crucifixion  of  self. 
Faith  is  not  perfect  until  self  is  crucified ;  and  the 
converse  is  equally  true,  that  perfect  faith  necessarily 
results  in  entire  self-renunciation. 

In  the  second  class  of  persons,  which  has  been  men- 
tioned, the  spiritual  life  mingles  more  or  less,  and  per- 
haps in  nearly  equal  proportions,  with  the  tendencies 
and  activities  of  nature.  The  fire  which  blazes  up 
from  their  hearts,  and  which  often  casts  a  broad  light 
upon  the  surrounding  multitude,  is  a  mixed  fire,  partly 
from  heaven  and  partly  from  earth.  The  natural  unholy 
principles  are  not  extinct ;  but  can  only  be  said  to  be 
partly  purified,  and  to  be  turned  into  a  new  channel. 
Hence  they  will  oftentimes  fight  for  God  with  the  same 
zeal,  and  almost  in  the  same  manner,  that  worldly  men 
fight  for  their  temporary  and  worldly  objects  ;  with  great 
earnestness,  with  an  unquiet  and  turbulent  indignation, 
and  sometimes  with  a  cruelty  of  attack  which  vents 
itself  in  misrepresentations,  and  which  persecutes  even 
to  prison  and  to  death. 

But  the  class  of  Christians  to  whom  we  are  now  at- 
tending, having  their  souls  fully  fixed  in  God  by  faith, 
cannot  consent  to  serve  their  heavenly  Father  with  the 
instruments  which  Satan  furnishes.  They  sow  the  seed  ; 
but  they  have  faith  in  the  God  of  the  hai^vest ;  and  they 
know  that  all  will  be  well  in  the  end.    They  are  not  inac- 


ON    VAKIETIES    OF    CHRISTIAN    CHARACTER.  38Ii 

live;  but  they  move  only  at  God's  command,  and  in 
God's  way  ;  and  are  fully  satisfied  with  the  result  which 
God  may  see  fit  to  give.  At  the  command  of  the  world 
or  of  a  worldly  spirit,  they  would  not  "  turn  upon  theij 
heel  to  save  their  life."  But  to  God  they  hold  all  in 
subjection  ;  and  they  rest  calmly  in  the  great  Central 
Power.  These  are  men  of  a  grave  countenance  ;  of  a 
retired  life,  except  when  duty  calls  to  public  action ;  of 
few  words,  simple  manners,  and  inflexible  principle. 
They  have  renounced  self;  and  they  naturally  seek  a 
low  p.ace,  remote  from  public  observation  and  unreached 
by  human  applause.  When  they  are  silent  to  human 
hearing,  they  are  conversing  with  God  ;  and  when  they 
open  their  lips  and  speak,  it  is  the  message  which  God 
gives,  and  is  spoken  with  the  demonstration  of  the 
Spirit.  When  they  are  apparently  inactive,  they  are 
gaining  strength  from  the  Divine  Fountain ;  drinking 
nourishment  into  the  inmost  soul.  And  when  they 
move,  although  with  quiet  step,  the  heart  of  the  multi- 
tude is  shaken  and  troubled  at  their  approach,  because 
God  moves  with  them.  There  is  no  thunder,  but  the 
"still  small  voice  ;  "  no  smoke,  but  consuming  fire. 

These  are  the  men  of  whom  martyrs  are  made. 
When  the  day  of  great  tribulation  conies,  when  dun- 
geons are  ready,  and  fires  are  burning,  then  God  permits 
his  childreu,  who  are  weak  in  the  faith,  to  stand  aside. 
Then  the  illuminated  Christians,  those  who  live  in  the 
region  of  high  emotion  rather  than  of  quiet  faith,  who 
have  been  conspicuous  in  the  world  of  Christian  activity, 
and  have  been  as  a  pleasant  and  a  loud  song,  and  in  many 
things  have  done  nobly,  will  unfold  to  the  right  and  the 
left,  and  let  this  little  company,  of  whom  the  world  is 
ignorant,  and  whom  it  cannot  know,  come  up  from  tlieir 
secret  places  to  the  great  battle  of  the  Lord.  To  them  the 
prison  is  as  acceptable  as  the  throne  ;  the  place  of  degrada- 
tion as  the  place  of  honor.  They  eat  of  the  "  hidden 
manna,"  and  they  have  the  secret  name  given  them, 
"  which  no  man  knoweth."  Ask  them  how  ihey  feel,  and 
they  will  perhaps  be  startled,  because  their  thoughts  are 


384  ON    VARIETIES    OF    CHRISTIAN    CHARACTER. 

thus  turnod  from  God  to  themselves.  And  they  will  an- 
swer by  asking  what  God  toills.  They  have  no  feeling 
separate  from  the  will  of  God.  All  high  and  low,  all  joy 
and  sorrow,  all  honor  and  dishonor,  all  friendship  and  en- 
mity, are  brought  to  a  level,  and  are  merged  and  lost  in 
the  great  realization  of  God  present  in  tlie  heart.  Hence 
chains  and  dungeons  have  no  terrors ;  a  bed  of  fire  is  as 
a  bed  of  down. 

It  is  here,  in  this  class  of  persons,  that  we  find  the 
great  grace  of  sanctification  —  a  word,  alas  !  too  little 
anderstood  in  the  church.  These  are  they,  who,  in  the 
spirit  of  self-crucifixion,  live  by  faith,  and  faitK  only. 


3S5 


RELIGIOUS   MAXIMS, 

« 

HAVINC    A    CONNECTION    WITH   THE   DOCTRINES    AND 
PRACTICE    OF   HOLINESS. 


I'niNK  much,  and  pray  much,  and  let  your  words  be  few,  and 
littered  with  seriousness  and  deliberation,  as  in  God's  presence. 
And  yet  regard  may  be  had  to  times  and  seasons.  We  may 
innocently  act  the  child  with  children,  which  in  the  presence  of 
grown  persons  would  have  the  app.earance  of  thoughtlessness 
and  levity  ;  and  may  perhaps  at  times  express  our  gratitude  to 
God,  and  our  holy  joys,  with  an  increased  degree  of  freedom  and 
vivacity,  especially  in  the  company  of  those  who  bear  the  same 
image,  and  who  know  what  it  is  to  rejoice  in  the  Holy  Ghost. 

11. 
Be  silent  when  blamed  and  reproached  unjustly,  and  undei 
such  circumstances  that  the  reproachful  and  injurious  person  will 
be  likely,  from  the  influence  of  his  own  reflections,  to  discover 
his  error  and  wrong  speedily.  Listen  not  to  the  suggestions  of 
nature,  which  would  prompt  a  hasty  reply  ;  but  receive  the  inju 
rious  treatment  with  humility  and  calmness  ;  and  He  in  whose 
name  you  thu^  ^Ter  will  reward  you  with  inward  consolation, 
.vhile  he  sends  the  sharp  arrow  of  conviction  into  the  heart  of 
(OUY  adversary. 

HI. 

In  whatever  you  are  r""jd  upon  to  do,  endeavor  to  mamtain 
1  calm,  collected,  and  prayerful  state  of  mind.  Self-recollection 
is  of  great  importance.  "It  is  good  for  a  man  to  wait  quietly 
for  the  salvation  of  the  Lord."  He  wlx»  is  in  what  may  be 
called  a  spiritual  hurry,  or  rather  who  runs  without  having  evi- 
dence of  being  spiritually  sent,  makes  haste  to  no  purpose- 

IV. 

Seek  holiness  rather  than  consolation.     Not  that  consolation 
IS  10  be  despised,  or  thought  lightly  of;  but  solid  and  permanent 
consolation  is  the  result  rather  than  the  forerunner  of  holiness 
therefore  he  who  seeks  corsolation  as  a  distinct  and  independent 
33 


386 


RELIGIOUS    MAXIMS. 


object  will  miss  it.  ,Seek  and  possess  holiness,  and  consolation 
(not,  perhaps,  often  in  the  form  of  ecstatic  and  rapturous  joys, 
but  rather  of  solid  and  delightful  peace)  will  follow  as  assuredly 
as  warmth  follows  the  dispensation  of  the  rays  of  the  sun.     He 

WHO  IS  HOLY  MUST  BE  HAPPY. 


Be  not  disheartened  because  the  eye  of  the  world  is  constantly 
and  earnestly  fixed  upon  you,  to  detect  your  errors  and  to  rejoice 
in  your  halting.  But  rather  regard  this  state  of  things,  trying  as 
it  may  be,  as  one  of  the  safeguards  which  a  kind  Father  has 
placed  around  you,  to  keep  alive  in  your  own  bosoms  an  antago- 
nist spirit  of  watchfulness,  and  to  prevent  those  very  mistakes 
and  transgressions  which  your  enemies  eagerly  anticipate. 

VI. 

Do  not  think  it  strange  when  troubles  and  persecutions  come 
upon  you.  Rather  receive  them  quietly  and  thankfully,  as 
coming  from  a  Father's  hand.  Yea,  happy  are  ye,  if,  in  the  ex- 
ercise of  faith,  you  can  look  above  the  earthly  instrumentality, 
above  the  selfishness  and  malice  of  men,  to  Him  who  has  per- 
mitted them  for  your  good.  Thus  persecuted  they  the  Savior 
and  the  prophets. 

VII. 

"  Be  ye  angry  and  sin  not."  The  life  of  our  Savior,  as  well 
as  the  precepts  of  the  apostles,  clearly  teaches  us  that  there 
may  be  occasions  on  which  we  may  have  feelings  of  displeasure, 
and  even  of  anger,  without  sin.  Sin  does  not  necessarily  attach 
to  anger,  considered  in  its  nature,  but  in  its  degree.  Neverthe- 
less, anger  seldom  exists  in  fact,  whhout  becoming  in  its  meas- 
urement inordinate  and  excessive.  Hence  it  is  important  to 
watch  against  it,  lest  we  be  led  into  transgression.  Make  it  a 
rule,  therefore,  never  to  give  any  outward  expressions  to  angry 
feelings,  (a  course  which  will  operate  as  a  powerful  check  upon 
their  excessive  action,)  until  you  have  made  them  the  subject  of 
reflection  and  prayer.     And  thus  you  may  hope  to  be  kept. 

VIII. 

True  peace  of  mind  does  not  depend,  as  some  seem  to  sup- 
pose, on  the  external  incidents  of  riches  and  poverty,  of  heaUh 
and  sickness,  of  friendship  and  enmities.  It  has  no  necessary 
dependence  upon  society  or  seclusion ;  upon  dwelling  in  cities 
or  in  the  desert ;  upon  the  possession  of  temporal  power,  or  a 
condition  of  temporal  insignificance  and  weakness.  "The  I  ng' 
dom  of  God  is  within  yo  )."  Let  the  heart  be  right,  let  it  b€ 
fully  united  with  the  will  of  God,  and  we  shall  be  entirely  con 


RELIGIOUS    MAXIMS.  3S7 

Rented  with  those  cu-cumstanccs  in  whicli  Providence  lias  seen 
fit  to  place  us,  however  unpropitious  they  may  be  in  a  worldly 
point  of  view.  He  who  gains  the  victory  over  himself  gains 
the  victory  over  all  his  enemies. 

IX. 

»3ome  persons  think  of  obedience  as  if  it  were  nothing  else, 
and  could  be  nothing  else,  than  servhude.  And  it  must  be  ad- 
mitted, that  constrained  obedience  is  so.  He  who  obeys  by 
compulsion,  and  not  freely,  wears  a  chain  upon  his  spirit  which 
continually  frets  and  torments,  while  it  confines  him.  But  this 
IS  not  Christian  obedience.  To  obey  with  the  whole  heart,  in 
other  words,  to  obey  as  Christ  would  have  us,  is  essentially  the 
same  as  to  be  perfectly  resigned  to  the  will  of  God  ;  having  no 
will  but  his.  And  he  must  have  strange  notions  of  the  interior  and 
purified  life,  who  supposes  that  the  obedience  which  revolves 
constantly  and  joyfully  within  the  limits  of  the  Divine  Will,  par- 
takes of  the  nature  of  servitude.  On  the  contrary,  true  obedience, 
that  which  has  its  seat  in  the  affections,  and  which  flows  out  like 
the  gushing  of  water,  may  be  said,  in  a  very  important  sense,  to 
possess  not  only  the  nature,  but  the  very  essence  of  freedom. 

X. 

A  sanctified  state  of  heart  does  not  require  to  be  sustained  by 
dny  mere  forms  of  bodily  excitation.  It  gets  above  the  domin- 
ion, at  least  in  a  very  considertCble  degree,  of  the  nerves  and 
the  senses.  It  seeks  an  atmosphere  of  calmness,  of  thought,  of 
noly  meditation. 

XI. 

Our  spiritual  strength  will  be  nearly  in  proportion  to  the  ab- 
sence of  self-dependence  and  self-confidence.  When  we  are 
weak  in  ourselves,  we  shall  not  fail,  if  we  apply  to  the  right 
source  for  help,  to  be  found  strong  in  the  Lord.  Madam  Guy- 
on,  speaking  of  certain  temptations  to  which  she  had  been  ex- 
posed, says,  "  I  then  comprehended  what  power  a  soul  has  which 
is  entirely  annihilated."  This  is  strong  language  ;  but  when  it 
is  properly  undei'stood,  it  conveys  important  truth.  When  we 
^Ink  in  ourselves,  we  rise  in  God.  When  we  have  no  strength 
iti  ourselves,  we  have  divine  power  in  him  who  can  subdue  ali 
his  adversaries.  "  The  Lord  is  my  rock,  and  my  fortress,  and 
my  deliverer ;  my  God,  my  strength,  in  whom  I  will  trust ;  my 
ouckler,  and  the  horn  of  my  salvation,  and  my  high  tower." 

XII. 

In  proportion  as  the  heart  becomes  sanctified,  there  is  a  di- 
tnroished  tendency  to  enthusiasm  and  fanaticism.     And  this  is 


388  RELIGIOUS    MAXIMS. 

undoubtedly  one  of  the  leading  tests  of  sanctification.  One  of  the 
marks  of  an  enthusiastic  and  fanatical  state  of  mind,  is  a  fiery 
and  unrestrained  impetuosity  of  feeling ;  a  rushing  on,  some- 
times very  blindly,  as  if  the  world  were  in  danger,  or  as  if  the 
great  Creator  were  not  at  the  helm.  It  is  not  only  feeling  with- 
out a  good  degree  of  judgment,  but,  what  is  the  corrupting  and 
fatal  trait,  it  is  feeling  without  a  due  degree  of  confidence  in 
God.  True  holiness  reflects  the  image  of  God  in  this  respect 
as  well  as  in  others,  that  it  is  calm,  thoughtful,  deliberate,  immu- 
table. And  how  can  it  be  otherwise,  since,  rejecting  its  own 
wisdom  and  strength,  it  incorporates  into  itself  the  wisdom  and 
strength  of  the  Almighty  ? 

XIII. 

The  hidden  life,  which  God  imparts  to  his  accepted  people, 
may  flourish  in  solitudes  and  deserts,  far  from  the  societies  of 
men  and  the  din  and  disturbance  of  cities.  From  the  cave  of 
the  hermit,  from  the  cell  of  the  solitary  recluse,  the  fervent 
prayer  has  often  arisen,  which  has  been  acceptable  in  the  sight 
of  God.  But  it  would  be  a  strange  and  fatal  misconception,  that 
religion,  even  in  its  most  pure  and  triumphant  exaltations,  can 
flourish  nowhere  else.  The  home  of  holiness  is  in  the  heart, 
irrespective  of  outward  situations  and  alliances ;  and  therefore 
we  may  expect  to  find  it,  if  there  are  hearts  adapted  to  its  re- 
ception and  growth,  in  the  haunts  of  business  as  well  as  in  the 
silence  of  retirement ;  in  the  palaces  of  Rome  as  well  as  in  the 
deserts  of  the  Thcbais.  It  is  a  fatal  mistake  to  suppose  that  we 
cannot  be  holy  except  on  the  condition  of  a  situation  and  cir- 
cumstances in  life  such  as  shall  suit  ourselves.  It  is  one  of  the 
first  principles  of  holiness  to  leave  our  times  and  our  places,  our 
going  out  and  our  coming  in,  our  wasted  and  our  goodly  heritage 
entirely  with  the  Lord,  Here,  O  Lord,  hast  thou  placed  us,  and 
we  will  glorify  thee  here. 

XIV. 

In  the  agitations  of  the  present  life,  beset  and  perplexed  as  we 
are  with  ti'oubles,  how  natural  it  is  to  seek  earnestly  some  place 
of  rest !  And  hence  it  is  that  we  so  often  reveal  our  cares  and , 
perplexities  to  our  fellow-men,  and  seek  comfort  and  support 
from  that  source.  But  the  sanctified  soul,  hav  ng  experienced 
the  uncertainties  of  all  human  aids,  turns  instinctively  to  the 
great  God ;  and  hiding  itself  in  the  presence  and  protection  of 
the  divine  existence,  it  reposes  there,  as  in  a  strong  tower  which 
no  enemies  can  conquer,  and  as  on  an  everlasting  rock  which  no 
floods  can  wash  away.     It  knows  the  instructive  import  of  thnt 


RELIGIOUS    MAXIMS,  389 

Jublime  exclamation  of  the  Psalmist,  (Ps.  Ixii.  5,)  '^  My  soul 
svait  thou  ONLY  upon  God  ;  for  my  expectation  is  from  him." 

XT. 

Speak  not  often  of  your  own  actions,  nor  even,  when  it  can 
)e  properly  avoided,  make  allusion  to  yourself,  as  an  agent  in 
.ransactions  which  are  calculated  to  attract  notice.  We  do  not 
suppose,  as  some  may  be  inclined  to  do,  that  frequent  speakin^r 
Dt  our  actions  is  necessarily  a  proof,  although  it  may  furnish  a 
presumption,  of  inordinate  self-love  or  vanity;  but  it  cannot  be 
denied  that  by  such  a  course  we  expose  ourselves  to  temptations 
and  dangers  in  that  direction.  It  is  much  safer,  and  is  certainly 
much  more  profitable,  to  speak  of  what  has  been  done  for  us 
and  wrought  ih  us,  — to  speak,  for  instance,  of  ourselves  as  the 
recipients  of  the  goodness  of  God,—  than  to  speak  of  what  we 
have  ourselves  done.  But  even  here,  also,  although  it  may 
otten  be  an  imperative  duty,  there  is  need  of  deliberation  and 
caution. 


XVI. 


There  are  many  persons  who  would  willingly  be  Christians, 
and  eminent  Christians  Coo,  if  Christianity  were  limited  to  great 
occasions.  For  such  occasions  they  call  forth  whatever  pious 
and  devotional  resources  they  have,  or  seem  to  have,  and  not 
only  place  them  in  the  best  light,  but  inspire  them,  for  the  time 
being,  with  the  greatest  possible  efficiency.  But  on  smaller  occa- 
sions, in  the  eveiy-day  occurrences  and  events  of  life,  the  reli- 
gious  principle  is  in  a  state  of  dormancy;  giving  no  si^rns  of 
effective  vitality  and  movement.  The  life  of  such  per°sons  is 
not  like  that  of  the  sun  —  equable,  constant,  diffusive,  and  benefi- 
cent, though  attracting  but  little  notice ;  but  like  the  erruptive 
and  glaring  blaze  of  volcanoes,  which  comes  forth  at  remote 
periods,  in  company  with  great  thunderings  and  shakings  of  the 
earth  ;  and  yet  the  heart  of  the  people  is  not  made  glad  by  it. 
Such  religion  is  vain ;  and  its  possessors  know  not  what  manner 
of  spirit  they  are  of. 

XVII. 

_  Out  of  death  springs  life.  We  must  die  naturally,  in  order 
Viat  we  may  live  spiritually.  The  beautiful  fiowers  sprint  up 
from  dead  seeds  ;  and  from  the  death  of  those  evil  principles, 
that  spread  so  diffusively  and  darkly  over  the  natural  heart,' 
springs  up  the  beauty  of  a  new  life,  the  quiet  but  ravishincr 
bloom  of  Holiness.  ° 

XVIII. 

A  strong  faith  has  the  power  to  make  a  virtual  and  nrcsen 
33  * 


390  RELIGIOTiS    MAXIMS. 

reality  of  inose  things  which  are  in  fact  future.  Be  it  so  thai 
we  have  not  the  thing  itself  in  the  Hteral  sense  of  the  term  ; 
that  we  have  not  heaven  ;  that  we  have  not  the  visible  presence 
of  Christ ;  that  we  have  not  those  things,  whatsoever  they  may 
be,  which  constitute  the  glory  and  blessedness  of  the  future 
world.  But  it  is  certain  that  in  the  Bible  we  have  the  promise 
of  them  ;  we  have  the  title-deed,  the  bond,  the  mortgage,  most 
solemnly  made  out  and  delivered  to  us.  All  these  things  are 
therefore  ours,  if  we  fully  believe  in  the  promise  ;  and  they 
can  all  be  made,  in  the  exercise  of  entire  faith,  a  virtual  and 
present  reality.  A  man  reckons  his  notes,  bonds,  and  bills, 
which  are  the  certificates  and  confirmations  of  absent  posses- 
sions, as  so  m.uch  property,  as  actual  money,  although  it  is  only 
virtually  and  by  faith  realized  to  be  such.  He  counts  himself 
as  truly  and  really  owning  the  property,  in  amount  and  kind_ 
which  the  face  of  his  papers,  of  his  notes  and  bonds,  represents. 
And  yet  he  has  nothing  in  hand  but  his  papers,  and  his  faith 
in  the  individuals  who  have  signed  them.  How  much  more, 
then,  should  we  have  faith  in  our  title-deeds,  in  our  bonds  and 
testaments,  which  are  written  in  the  blood  of  the  Son  of  God, 
are  confirmed  by  the  oath  of  the  Father,  and  are  witnessed  by 
the  Holy  Ghost !  And  how  much  more  should  we,  having  such 
deeds  and  bonds,  and  such  immutable  confirmations  of  them, 
count  God  ours,  and  Christ  and  the  Holy  Spirit  ours,  and  eter 
nal  glory  ours  ! 

XIX. 

It  is  an  excellent  saying  of  the  celebrated  Fenelon,  "  It  is  only 
imperfection  that  complains  of  what  is  imperfect."  It  would  be 
well  for  those  who  aim  at  Christian  perfection  to  remember 
this.  Surrounded  by  those  who  constantly  exhibit  defects  of 
character  and  conduct,  if  we  yield  to  a  complaining  and  impa- 
tient spirit,  we  shall  mar  our  own  peace,  without  having  the  sat- 
isfaction of  benefiting  others.  When  the  mind  is  in  a  right 
position,  absorbed  in  God  and  truly  dead  to  the  world,  it  will  not 
be  troubled  by  these  things.  Or,  if  it  be  otherwise,  and  we  are 
in  fact  afilicted,  it  will  be  for  others,  and  not  for  ourselves  ;  and 
we  shall  be  more  disposed  to  pity  than  to  complain. 

XX. 

Prayer  without  faith  is  vain.  A  pious  English  writer,  one 
who  lived  as  far  back  as  the  days  of  the  Puritans,  and  who  uses 
various  homely  but  instructive  illustrations,  after  the  manner  of 
those  times,  calls  prayer  the  "  bucket  of  the  soul,  by  which  it 
draws  water  out  of  the  wells  of  salvation.  But  without  Faith, 
you  »nay  let  down  this  bucket  again  and  again,  and  never  biins; 


RELIGIOUS    MAXIMS.  391 

up  one  drop  of  solid  comfort."  *  It  is  faith  which  tills  the  buck 
et.  And  accordingly,  if  our  faith  be  weak,  we  shall  find  but 
poor  and  famishing  returns.  A  full  bucket  depends  on  the  con- 
dition of  a  strong  faith. 

XXI. 

One  of  the  most  important  requisites  of  a  holy  life  is  patience. 
And  by  this,  we  do  not  mean  merely  a  meek  and  quiet  temper 
when  one  is  personally  assaulted  and  injured  ;  but  a  like  meek- 
ness and  quietness  of  temper  in  relation  to  the  moral  and  reli- 
gious progress  of  the  world.  We  may  be  deeply  afflicted  in 
view  of  the  desolations  of  Zion ;  but  let  us  ever  remember  and 
rejoice,  that  the  cause  of  truth  and  holiness  is  lodged  safely  in 
the  hands  of  God.  With  him  a  thousand  years  are  as  one  day  ; 
and  in  the  darkest  moments,  when  Satan  seems  to  be  let  loose 
with  tenfold  fury,  let  us  thank  God  and  take  courage,  because 
the  Lord  God  Omnipotent  reigneth. 


It  may  sometimes  be  practically  important  to  make  a  distinc- 
tion between  a  renunciation  of  the  world  and  a  renunciation  of 
ourselves.  A  man  may  in  a  certain  sense,  and  to  a  certain  ex- 
tent, renounce  the  world,  and  yet  may  find  himself  greatly  dis- 
appointed in  his  anticipations  of  spiritual  improvement  and  ben- 
efit. He  has  indeed  renounced  the  world,  as  it  presents  itself 
to  us  in  its  externalities  ;  he  has  renounced  its  outward  attractions, 
its  perverted  and  idle  shows.  He  may  have  carried  his  re- 
nouncement so  far  as  to  seclude  himself  entirely  from  society, 
and  to  spend  his  days  in  some  solitary  desert.  But  it  avails 
nothing,  or  almost  nothing,  because  there  is  not  at  the  same  time 
an  internal  renunciation,  a  crucifixion  and  renunciation  of  self. 
A  mere  crucifixion  of  the  outward  world  will  still  leave  a  vital- 
ity and  luxuriance  of  the  selfish  principle  ;  but  a  crucifixion  of 
self  necessarily  involves  the  crucifixion,  in  the  Scripture  sense, 
of  every  thing  else. 

XXIII. 

It  is  one  among  the  pious  and  valuable  maxims  which  are 
ascribed  to  Francis  de  Sales,  "  A  judicious  silence  is  always 
better  than  truth  spoken  without  charity."  The  very  under- 
taking to  instruct  or  censure  others,  implies  an  assumption  of 
intellectual  or  moral  superiority.  It  cannot  be  expected,  there- 
fore, that  the  attempt  will  be  well  received,  unless  it  is  tempered 
with  a  heavenly  spirit.     "  Though  I  speak  with  the  tongues  of 

*  Symond's  Sight  and  Faith,  printed  in  1651. 


392  RELIGIOUS    MAXIMS. 

men  and  of  angels,  and  have   not  charity,  \  am  become  as 
sounding  brass,  or  a  tinkling  cymbal." 

sxiv. 
We  may  be  deprived  of  outward  consolations,  and  still  have 
consolations  of  heart.  But  this  is  not  all.  We  may  be  deprived, 
in  the  sovereignty  of  God,  and  for  wise  purposes,  of  inward 
consolations  also,  and  may  be  left  for  a  time  in  a  state  of  men- 
tal barrenness  and  desolation.  And  yet  faith,  precious  faitli, 
discouraging  as  this  state  of  things  may  seem,  may  still  remain ; 
and  not  feebly  merely,  but  in  the  strength  and  fulness  of  its  ex- 
ercise. It  is  still  our  delightful  privilege  to  say  of  God,  that  He 
IS  our  God,  our  Father,  our  Friend  and  Portion.  "  Blessed  is 
the  man  that  trustelh  in  the  Lord." 

XXV. 

No  man  ever  arrived  at  Christian  perfection,  no  man  ever  cayi 
arrive  at  that  ennobling  state,  who  walks  by  sight  rather  than  by 
faith,  of  whom  it  cannot  be  said,  as  of  the  father  of  the  faith- 
ful, "  he  went  out,  not  knowing  loldther  he  iDcnt.''''  Perhaps  we 
may  say,  it  is  the  highest  attainment  of  the  soul,  (certainly  it  is 
the  foundation  of  the  highest  or  perfect  state  in  all  other  Chris- 
tian attainments,)  that  of  entire  and  unwavering  confidence  in 
God.  O  God,  we  are  thine  ;  forever  thine.  We  will  not  let 
thee  go,  until  thou  bless  us.  And  when  thou  dost  bless  us, 
still  we  will  not  let  thee  go.  For  without  thee,  even  blessing 
would  bo  turned  into  cursing.  Therefore  will  we  ever  trust 
in  thee. 

XXVI. 

Always  make  it  a  rule  to  do  every  thing,  which  it  is  proper 
and  a  duty  to  do,  in  the  best  manner  and  to  the  best  of  your 
ability.     An  imperfect  execution  of  a  thing,  where  we  might 
have  done  better,  is  not  only  unprofitable,  but  it  is  a  vicious  ex- 
ecution ;  or,  in  other  words,  is  morally  wrong.     He  who  aims 
it  perfection  in   great  things,  but  is  willing  to  be  imperfect  in 
ittle  things,  will  find  himself  essentially  an  imperfect  man.     The 
)erfection  of  the  greater  will  be  no  compensation,  and  no  excuse, 
or  the  imperfection  of  the  less.     Such  a  person  wants  the  es- 
sential principle  of  universal  obedience.     Consider  well,  there- 
fore, what  God  in  his  providence  would  have  you  perform ;  and 
f  you  feel  the  spirit  of  those  directions,  which  require  us  to  do 
ill  things  as  unto  God  rather  than  unto  men,  you  will  not  do  them 
with  a  false  heart  or  a  feeble  hand.     And  thus  in  small  things, 
IS  well  as  in  great,  in  those  which  are  unseen  as  well  as  in  those 
vhich  attract  notice,  it  shall  be  said  of  you,  "Well  done,  goo(.' 
ncl  faithful  servant!" 


R&LIGIOUS    MAXIMS.  393 

XXVII. 

A  fixed,  inflexible  will  is  a  great  assistance  in  a  holy  life. 
Satan  will  suggest  a  thousand  reasons  Avhy  we  should  yield  a 
'ittle  to  the  temptations  by  which  we  are  surrounded  ;  but  let  us 
■3ver  stand  fast  in  our  purpose.  A  good  degree  of  decision  and 
enacity  of  purpose  is  of  great  importance  in  the  ordinary  affairs 
of  life.  How  much  more  so  in  the  things  of  religion  !  He 
who  is  easily  shaken  will  find  the  way  of  holiness  difficult, 
perhaps  impracticable.  A  double-minded  man  —  he  who  has  no 
dxedness  of  purpose,  no  energy  of  will  — is  "  unstable  in  all  his 
ivays."  Ye  who  walk  in  the  narrow  way,  let  your  resolution 
)e  unalterable.  Think  of  the  blessed  Savior.  "  My  God,  my 
jfod,  whyjiast  tliou  forsaken  me  }  "  Though  he  was  momen 
.arily  forsaken,  at  least  so  far  as  to  be  left  to  anguish  inconceiv- 
able and  unutterable,  his  heart  nevertheless  was  fixed,  and  he 
could  still  say,  "  My  God,  my  God  !  " 

SXVIII. 

We  may  pray  with  the  intellect  without  praying  with  the 
heart;  but  we  cannot  pray  with  the  heart  without  praying  with 
the  intellect.  Such  are  the  laws  of  the  mind,  that  there  can  be 
no  such  thing  as  praying  without  a  knowledge  of  the  thing  we 
pray  for.  Let  the  heart  be  full,  wholly  given  up  to  the  pursui' 
of  the  object ;  but  let  your  perception  of  the  object  be  distinct 
and  clear.  This  will  be  found  honorable  to  God  and  beneficial 
to  the  soul. 

XXIX. 

Many  persons  think  they  are  seeking  holiness,  when  they  are 
in  fact  seeking  the  "  loaves  and  fishes,"  To  be  holy  is  to  be 
like  Christ,  who,  as  the  Captain  of  our  salvation,  was  made  per- 
fect through  suffering.  We  must  be  willing  to  bear  the  cross, 
if  we  would  wear  the  crown.  In  seeking  holiness,  therefore, 
let  us  think  little  of  joy,  but  much  of  purity  ;  little  of  ourselves, 
but  much  of  God  ;  little  of  our  own  wills,  but  much  of  the  Di- 
vine will.  We  will  choose  the  deepest  poverty  and  affliction 
with  the  will  of  God,  rather  than  all  earthly  goods  and  prosperities 
without  it.  It  is  God  we  seek,  and  not  happiness.  If  we  have 
God,  he  v/ill  not  fail  to  take  care  of  us.  If  we  abide  in  him, 
even  a  residence  in  hell  could  not  harm  us.  "  As  the  hart 
panteth  after  the  water-brooks,  so  panteth  my  soul  after  thee,  0 
God.     My  soul  thirsteth  for  God,  for  the  living  God." 

XXX. 

Thou  hast  contended  with  Satan,  and  hast  been  successful. 
Thou  hast  fought  with  him,  and  he  has  fled  from  thee.  But,  O, 
remember  his  artifices.     Do  not  indulge  the  belief  that  his  na- 


394  RELIGIOUS    MAXIMS, 

ture  is  changed.  True,  indeed,  he  is  now  very  complacent,  and 
is,  perhaps,  singing  thee  some  syren  song ;  but  he  was  never 
more  a  devil  than  he  is  now.  He  now  assaults  thee,  hy  not  as- 
saulting thee ;   and  knows  that  he  shall  conquer,  when  thou 

FALLEST  ASLEEP. 

XXXI. 

The  value  of  a  thing  is  known  by  what  it  takes  to  preserve  it, 
as  well  as  by  what  it  originally  cost.  Men  may  steal  your  dia- 
monds, who  would  not  trouble  things  of  less  worth.  The  cost 
of  holiness  was  the  blood  of  Jie  Son  of  God  ;  zs,^  gre&uy  does 
he  mistake,  who  £upp<jses  it  niiv.  Ko  -reserved  by  anything  short 

XXXII. 

If  earthly  plants  are  permitted  to  spring  up  in  the  heart,  how 
is  it  possible  that  the  tree  of  holiness  should  flourish  ?  With  the 
ground  already  occupied  with  earthly  px'oducts,  the  roots  of  sane- 
tification,  deprived  of  the  nourishment  which  should  sustain 
them,  necessarily  wither  and  die.  There  is  not  nutriment  enough 
to  sustain  both.  Hence  it  is  that  our  Savior,  in  his  divine 
wisdom,  tells  us  of  those  who  are  choked  with  the  riches,  and 
cares,  and   pleasures,  of  this  life, "  and    bring   no   fruit   to 

PERFECTION." 

XXXIII. 

The  power  of  Satan  is  great ;  and  it  is  his  appropriate  busi- 
ness continually  to  assault  the  saints  of  God.  If,  then,  in  some 
unhappy  and  evil  moment,  (by  thine  own  fault,  be  it  remem- 
bered,) he  gains  an  advantage,  lament  over  it  deeply,  but  do  not 
be  discouraged.  Remember,  if  the  great  enemy  gets  from  thee 
thy  resolution^  thy  fixed  purpose,  he  gets  all.  To  be  defeated,  is 
not  to  be  wholly  destroyed.  But  on  the  contrary,  he,  and  he 
only,  hath  victory  written  upon  his  forehead,  who,  in  the  moment 
of  his  severest  overthrow,  hath  still  the  heart  to  say,  "  With  the 
Lord  helping  me,  I  will  try  again." 

XXXIV. 

It  seems  to  have  been  the  doctrine  of  some  advocates  of 
Christian  perfection,  especially  some  pious  Catholics  of  former 
times,  that  the  various  propensities  and  affections,  and  particu- 
larly the  bodily  appetites,  ought  to  be  entirely  eradicated.  But 
this  doctrine,  when  carried  to  its  full  extent,  is  one  of  the  arti- 
fices of  Satan,  by  which  the  cause  of  holiness  has  been  greatly 
injured.  It  is  more  difficult  to  regulate  the  natural  principles 
than  to  destroy  them ;  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  more  diffi 
cult  duty,  in  this  case,  is  the  scriptural  one.  We  are  not  required 
to  eradicate  our  natural  propensities  and  affections,  but  to  purify 


RELIGIOUS    MAXIMS.  395 

ihem.     We  are  not  required  to  cease  to  be  men,  but  merely  to 
become  holy  men. 

XXXV. 

It  is  of  the  nature  of  holiness  to  unite  with  whatever  is  like 
Itself.  It  flies  on  eagle's  wings  to  meet  its  own  image.  Accord- 
ingly, the  soul,  so  long  as  it  is  stained  with  sin,  has  an  affinity 
with  what  is  sinful.  But  when  it  is  purified  from  iniquity,  it 
ascends  boldly  upward,  and  rests,  by  the  impulse  of  its  own 
being,  in  the  bosom  of  its  God.  The  element  of  separation  is 
taken  away ;  and  a  union,  strong  as  the  universe  and  lasting  as 
eternity,  necessarily  takes  place.  "  He  that  is  joined  unto  the 
Lord  is  one  spirit."     1  Cor.  vi.  17. 

XXXVI. 

It  is  sometimes  the  case,  that  those  who  are  seeking  sanctifi- 
cation  anticipate  results  which  are  more  accordant  with  human 
wisdom  than  with  the  ways  of  divine  Providence.  They  say, 
"  Make  me  clean,  and  I  shall  have  understanding.  Sanctify 
me,  and  I  shall  be  made  strong."  Such  anticipations,  which 
show  that  the  heart  is  not  yet  delivered  from  its  worldliness,  are 
not  confirmed,  in  the  sense  in  which  they  now  exist  in  the  mind, 
by  their  subsequent  experience.  When  sanctified,  as  they  are 
thoroughly  emptied  of  self,  they  have  neither  wisdom  nor 
strength  of  their  own.  They  know  not  what  to  do,  nor  how  to 
do  it.  They  abhor  the  idea  of  placing  confidence  in  themselves, 
and  find  they  must  apply  to  the  Savior  for  every  thing.  They 
derive  all  from  him.  In  the  language  of  Scripture,  he°is  made 
to  them  "  wisdom,  and  righteousness,  and  sanctification,  and  re- 
demption ;  that,  according  as  it  is  written.  He  that  glorieth, 

LET  HIM  GLORY  IN  THE  LoRD." 

XXXVII. 

It  is  a  melancholy  fact,  that  the  religion  of  many  persons  is 
not  constantly  operative,  but  it  is  manifested  periodically,  or  at 
some  particular  times.  It  is  assumed,  for  instance,  on  the  Sab- 
bath, but  is  laid  aside  on  the  shelf  during  the  week  days.  But 
true  holiness,  be  it  remembered,  is  not  a  thing  to  be  worn  for 
occasions  ;  to  be  put  off  or  put  on,  with  an  easy  accommodation  to 
circumstances  or  to  one's  private  convenience.  It  takes  too  deep 
root  in  the  heart  to  be  so  easily  disposed  of  as  such  a  course 
would  imply.  It  is  meat,  with  which  we  are  fed  ;  clothing,  with 
which  we  are  clothed  ;  the  interior  and  permanent  principle  of 
life,  which  animates  and  sustains  the  whole  man. 

XXXVIII. 

The  remark  is  somewhere  made,  and  very  correctly,  that  "  if 


396  RELIGIOUS    MAXIMS. 

la  a  great  loss  to  lose  an  ojflidion.''''  Certain  it  is  that  afflictions 
have  great  power  in  purifying  the  mind.  And  if  it  be  true  that 
mental  purification  —  in  other  words,  holiness  —  is  a  result  of  all 
others  the  most  desirable,  we  may  properly  attach  a  great  value 
to  whatever  tends  to  this  resuj^.  Prosperities  flatter  us  with  the 
hope  that  our  rest  is  here  ;  but  afflictions  lead  our  thoughts  to 
another  and  better  land.  "  Whom  the  Lord  loveth  he  chasten- 
etb,  and  scourgeth  every  son  that  he  receiveth." 

XXXIX. 

It  is  a  striking  remark,  ascribed  to  St.  Augustine,  that  prayer 
ts  the  measure  of  love  —  a  remark  which  implies  that  those 
who  love  much  will  pray  much,  and  that  those  who  pray  much 
will  love  much.  This  remark  is  not  more  scripturally  than  phil- 
osophically true.  It  is  the  nature  of  love  to  lead  the  person 
who  exercises  this  passion,  as  it  were,  out  of  himself.  His  heart 
is  continually  attracted  towards  the  beloved  object.  He  naturally 
and  necessarily  exercises,  in  connection  with  the  object  of  love, 
the  communion  of  the  affections.  And  this,  it  will  be  readily 
seen,  —  viz.,  the  communion  of  the  affections,  —  is  the  essential 
characteristic  ;  and  perhaps  it  may  be  said,  the  essence  and  sum  of 
prayer.  In  acceptable  prayer,  the  soul  goes  forth  to  God  in  va- 
rious acts  of  adoration,  supplication,  and  thanksgiving  ;  all  of 
which  imply  feelings  of  trust  and  confidence,  and  particularly 
love  to  Him,  who  is  the  object  of  prayer.  Accordingly,  he  who 
loves  much  cannot  help  praying  much.  And  on  the  other  hand, 
when  the  streams  of  holy  communion  with  God  fail  in  any  con- 
siderable degree,  it  is  a  sure  sign  that  there  is  shallowness  and 
drought  in  that  fountain  of  love  from  which  they  have  their 
source. 

XL. 

The  divine  life,  which,  in  every  stage  of  its  existence,  depends 
upon  the  presence  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  places  a  high  estimate 
on  mental  tranquillity.  It  is  no  new  thing  to  remark  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  has  no  congeniality  with  and  no  pleasure  in  the  soul 
where  strife  and  clamor  have  taken  possession.  If,  therefore, 
we  would  have  the  Holy  Spirit  with  us  always,  we  must  avoid 
and  flee,  with  all  the  intensity  of  our  being,  all  inordinate  covet- 
ing, all  envying,  malice,  and  evil  speaking,  all  impatience,  jeal- 
ousy, and  anger.  Of  such  a  heart,  and  such  only,  which  is 
calm  as  well  as  pure,  partaking  something  of  the  self-collected 
and  sublime  tranquillity  of  the  Divine  Mind,  can  it  be  said,  in  the 
truest  and  highest  sense,  tha'  it  is  a  temple  fitted  for  the  in 

DWELLING  OF  THE  H^LY  GhOST. 

END. 


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